Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday on social media that the Pentagon would no longer be requiring members of the military to get the flu vaccine.
Vaccination programs in the U.S. military date back to the American Revolution.
Hegseth said military members had been forced to choose “between their conscience and their country” previously, referencing the COVID-19 pandemic, but that would no longer be the case.
“We are discarding the mandatory flu vaccine requirement, effective immediately,” his video reads.
He called the mandate “overly broad” and “not rational.”
He said military members who believe the flu vaccine is in their best interest can take the vaccine, but others won’t be forced to do so.
A memorandum signed by Hegseth on April 20 said the new policy would go into effect immediately.
The new mandate follows similar department efforts regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.
Under the Biden administration, roughly 8,200 troops were discharged during the COVID-19 pandemic for refusing to get the vaccine, according to reporting from The Associated Press.
Those members have been able to return to service since 2023, and the Trump administration has offered back pay. The Pentagon stated in March that 153 service members who were separated under the COVID-19 mandate had been reinstated or “re-accessed.”
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