The problem is unlike most vax in the military the exemption authority for this one is being held at the Surgeon General level (normally base Doc or Majcom Doc). To date no religious exemptions have been approved for the Air Force and I'd have to find the number but I believe it's less than 100 medical exemptions. I have received two exemptions in my career due to adverse reactions and no one bats an eye. However with this one it has become so political that folks having adverse reactions to the first shot in the series of two are being denied a medical exemption. I know its a small scale case but I personally know two members who got myocarditis as a result of the first shot. They asked for a waiver to the second shot and were denied. One was down for 6 weeks after the second shot with heart issues, and the second still can't fly as their heart issues haven't resolved (4 months and counting). My point being while the shot is generally speaking a descent solution, it is not a one size fits all solution and every human is different and will be affected by it differently. These folks are just looking out for their own self interest and trying to medically protect themselves.