ROBINS AFB, Ga. — A federal judge says a Robins Air Force Base officer can stay on the job while the courts decide whether to exempt her from the military's vaccine mandate.
Judge Tillman Self issued the ruling Tuesday, approving a preliminary injunction against the Defense Department.
13WMAZ first told you about this case in January when the Air Force Reserve officer filed a lawsuit claiming she was being forced into retirement because she refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
The woman said she objects to the vaccine because she's a Christian, who argues that all of the current COVID-19 vaccines were developed using aborted fetal tissue.
Medical authorities say several types of cell lines, created decades ago using fetal tissue, are widely used in developing and testing many vaccines, like those for rubella, chicken pox and Hepatitis A.
They say the cells used today are clones of the early cells, not the original tissue. The current COVID-19 vaccines do not contain aborted cells, medical authorities say.
Her lawsuit says the Department of Defense denied her request for a religious exemption from the mandate.
On Tuesday, Self wrote that the national security interest in a vaccinated military does not outweigh the potential threat to the woman's religious freedom.
He wrote that the woman's refusal to get vaccinated, "Isn't going to halt a nearly fully vaccinated Air Force's mission."
The injunction covers only the officer who filed the lawsuit.
In a separate ruling, Self also said the woman can continue anonymously. He cited social-media comments ridiculing the woman, her lawsuit, and her religious beliefs. No trial date has been set.