Flu vaccine no longer mandated in military, Department of War says

U.S. military personnel will no longer be required to take the annual influenza vaccine, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday.

“The notion that a flu vaccine must be mandatory for every service member, everywhere, in every circumstance, at all times is just overly broad and not rational,” Hegseth said in a video posted on X.

He called the new policy a “simple,” “common-sense approach.” Military members can still choose to take the flu vaccine, “but we will not force you, because your body, your faith and your convictions are not negotiable.”

Hegseth, an outspoken Christian, accused the Biden administration of denying military service members “medical autonomy and the freedom to express their religious convictions.” He specifically referenced the COVID-19 vaccination, which the administration mandated for military personnel from August 2021 to January 2023. More than 8,000 service members were involuntarily discharged for failing to take the vaccine, according to the Department of War.

“Our men and women in uniform were forced to choose between their conscience and their country, even when those decisions posed no threat to our military readiness,” said Hegseth, who promised to “restore freedom and strength” to the military and end the “era of betrayal.”

“We’re seizing this moment to discard any absurd, overreaching mandates that only weaken our warfighting capabilities,” he said.