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The Air Force has discharged 27 service members for refusing to receive a COVID vaccine, marking the first service members to be involuntarily discharged for balking the rule. A spokesperson for the Air Force said the 27 active duty members discharged received counseling about the vaccines, and when they still refused, commanders made the decision to discharge them for refusing to comply with the Pentagon's vaccine rule, a lawful order. All 27 have been in the Air Force for less than six years and may have had additional reasons for their discharge but refusal to get a COVID vaccine was one of the reasons for the discharge. (Watson, 12/13)

In other updates on the vaccine rollout —

The NFL is requiring coaches, front-office staff and team personnel to receive a COVID-19 booster by Dec. 27. In a memo sent to teams on Monday and obtained by The Associated Press, the league said: “Given the increased prevalence of the virus in our communities, our experts have recommended that we implement the CDC’s recommendation.” The league’s requirement extends to all Tier 1 and Tier 2 individuals who have previously received the vaccine. (Maaddi, 12/14)

The city and Texas Children’s Hospital are aiming to vaccinate 5,000 people ahead of the holidays at a one-day clinic at the George R. Brown Convention Center on Friday. The site will open from noon to 8 p.m. on the third floor of the convention center. Anyone over the age of 5 can get an initial dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and the clinic will offer booster shots to those who are eligible, as well. Appointments are available online and walk-ins will be welcome. Metro is offering free rides to those who need one, and parking will be free for those who drive. (McGuinness, 12/13)

Over the past year, 1.6 million Nevadans — or about half of the state’s population — have been inoculated against COVID-19 in a roller-coaster rollout of the vaccine. The massive rollout, which began Dec. 14 last year, was first characterized by scarce supply and high demand, glitchy appointment systems and “line-jumping.” Within a few months, however, it had morphed into a well-oiled machine — one with abundant doses and too few takers. (Hynes, 12/13)

One year ago, the biggest vaccination drive in American history began with a flush of excitement in an otherwise gloomy December. Trucks loaded with freezer-packed vials of a COVID-19 vaccine that had proved wildly successful in clinical trials fanned out across the land, bringing shots that many hoped would spell the end of the crisis. That hasn’t happened. A year later, too many Americans remain unvaccinated and too many are dying. The nation’s COVID-19 death toll stands at around 800,000 as the anniversary of the U.S. vaccine rollout arrives. A year ago it stood at 300,000. An untold number of lives, perhaps tens of thousands, have been saved by vaccination. But what might have been a time to celebrate a scientific achievement is fraught with discord and mourning. (Johnson, 12/13)