Military branches restore flu shot requirement after virus swept through base

Arodex

Absolutely none of this should have happened. None. The 1918 "Spanish flu" was cultivated in the trenches and spread through military camps and demobilization. Hesgeth should be removed from his position ASAP. Edit: >Around 60% of previously unvaccinated trainees at Lackland initially declined the flu shot during the vaccine requirement’s lapse, according to the defense official. https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/24/politics/flu-shot-outbrea... Forget about Hesgeth. The USA is completely effed up.

hammock

This administration might be the exception, but it is actually normal for the US military to be getting more vaccines than average, even when their effectiveness is suspect (some past flu vaccines) or side effects are moderate to severe (e.g. anthrax vaccines). Readiness - a matter of national security - tends to trump most concerns that, in civilian populations, might warrant greater choice and debate.

wrs

>"The decisions were based upon thorough risk assessments..." Both decisions? Or just the walkback one?

dqv

> Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said that the Pentagon had granted exceptions to Hegseth’s optional flu shot policy to the Army, Navy, Air Force, National Security Agency, and the Defense Health Agency. So which ones are still exempt from the vaccines? Space Force, USMC, Coast Guard, who else?

jimjimjim

You've got to be able to deploy. Simple as that.

andsoitis

It turns out eventually you have to deal with reality.

beart

I have a close friend who is an officer nearing twenty years. He has not had a tendency to criticize his job. However, he has been adamant that vaccines are incredibly important for the military and the policy changes have really angered him, specifically because of the damage it does to readiness.

ElProlactin

As reported by The Onion, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has ordered all of the individuals who became ill to be dishonorably discharged. "Our armed forces need warriors, not weak losers who can't fight off a little virus," he stated. "You should be able to do 70 pull-ups in a minute and to never succumb to the so-called flu."

grizmaldi

Because freedom!

jmward01

In a sane administration, the complete and total lack of judgement that allowed vaccine mandates to go away should have led to an instant loss of confidence in sec def and anyone in the chain that didn't raise concerns about that decision. Anyone that studies even the slightest amount of military history knows that disease used to kill more people in war than bullets until -very- recently. The fact that potentially the single most effective combat enabler is not taken seriously shows the complete and utter lack of qualifications the people this administration puts into positions of power.

hackingonempty

"Under President [Donald J.] Trump, the War Department continues to take decisive action to once again restore freedom and strength to our joint force. We're seizing this moment to discard any absurd overreaching mandates that only weaken our warfighting capabilities." - Secretary Hegseth in April 2026 War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.

tantalor

Chesterton's Fence strikes again

erelong

Anticipating all the downvotes but flu vaccines are extremely ineffective and I think most of MAGA still wants no vaccine mandates; I thought Florida announced they are working to get rid of them for example Literally a for profit scam by Big Pharma which I thought most of HN used to be against

0xbadcafebee

More and more I believe the idea that Rome fell due to lead and pollution, because only stupidity could end an empire that had no rivals.

h05sz487b

The United States military is nothing to sneeze at (it would kill them).