Hegseth's directive allows military services to request to keep the flu vaccine requirement in place, with 15 days to make such requests. It remains unknown which specific military services, if any, will request to keep the flu vaccine requirement in place, or how many service members are expected to opt out of the flu vaccine under the new policy. ' This change comes amid broader vaccine policy shifts.
The Pentagon stated in March that 153 service members separated under the COVID-19 vaccine mandate had been reinstated or 're-accessed'. The Trump administration has been dialing back on vaccine recommendations, including no longer recommending flu shots and some other vaccines for all children. Historically, military vaccine requirements have been extensive.
A 2021 Congressional Research Service report listed eight mandatory vaccines for service members, including flu, polio, tetanus, measles, and hepatitis A and B. Service members could previously request to opt out of a vaccine requirement for religious reasons, with unit commanders required to seek input from medical and religious representatives. The potential impact on military readiness and deployment capabilities due to the end of the flu vaccine mandate is unclear, as is whether the Trump administration's dialing back of vaccine recommendations will affect other mandatory military vaccines beyond the flu shot.