The Pentagon is reportedly walking back Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's voluntary flu vaccine policy for U.S. military personnel, with exceptions now being granted to maximize operational readiness. This shift follows a significant flu outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, which affected at least 222 recruits and led to two hospitalizations.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed that decisions on vaccine policy exceptions are based on "thorough risk assessments" aimed at safeguarding personnel and maintaining force generation. Despite initial hesitancy on specifics, officials informed ABC News that the Army, Navy, and Air Force have reinstated mandatory flu vaccinations for basic trainees. A Navy official further confirmed to Task & Purpose that the flu vaccine is now required for all recruits in boot camp.
Hegseth had ended the long-standing flu vaccine mandate, in place since 1945, in April. He stated in a social media post that the policy was being discarded to "discard any absurd, overreaching mandates that only weaken our war-fighting capabilities." Hegseth also drew parallels between flu vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines, calling the mandatory nature of the flu vaccine "overly broad and not rational."
Since the policy change took effect, approximately 40% of Air Force trainees have opted to receive the flu vaccine, according to an Air Force official cited by The New York Times. Medical experts have questioned Hegseth's decision, with Dr. Jeffrey A. Linder of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine calling the move "bizarre" from a moral standpoint, given that service members relinquish many freedoms upon enlistment.