Hegseth Ends Mandatory Flu Shots For U.S. Troops, Allows Service Waivers
Will Hegseth ended the Pentagon's universal flu vaccine requirement for U.S. troops on Monday. His memorandum makes the annual influenza shot voluntary for Active and Reserve members and Defense Department civilians and gives each service 15 days to request keeping a mandate.
The move followed a May 29 memo from Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg that had already narrowed the mandate to reservists activated for at least 30 days. Feinberg's memo also ended pay for reservists and National Guard members who received shots on their own. Service public health officials warned of risks, with the Navy and Marine Corps Force Health Protection Command saying flu outbreaks can rapidly degrade readiness and mission execution.
Hegseth posted a video on X saying a universal flu-vaccine mandate was "overly broad and not rational" and framing the change as restoring medical autonomy and religious freedom. The Congressional Research Service noted the flu shot was one of eight vaccines mandatory for troops and that processes exist for religious exemptions. Advocates and critics tied the move to the earlier COVID-19 vaccine rescind; about 8,700 troops left over COVID refusal, and a Trump administration order has produced fewer than two dozen reinstatements so far.
Early headlines limited coverage to the policy change itself and the end of the mandate. Subsequent reporting from CBS and ABC published Hegseth's memorandum, disclosed the May 29 Feinberg memo and noted the 15-day service window and internal public health warnings. That shift widened the story from an administrative action to a debate over troop readiness, medical autonomy and the lessons of the COVID-19 vaccine fight.
📌 Key Facts
- Deputy Defense Secretary Hegseth signed a memorandum declaring the annual influenza vaccine voluntary for all Active and Reserve Component service members and Department of Defense civilians, effective immediately.
- The memo formally ends the universal flu vaccine requirement for U.S. troops and gives each military service 15 days to request retaining a service-specific mandate.
- Hegseth publicly justified the change in a video on X and in the memo, invoking "medical autonomy" and religious freedom, calling a blanket flu-vaccine mandate "overly broad and not rational" and framing the move as restoring "freedom and strength" to the force.
- The action follows a May 29, 2025 memo from Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg that had already narrowed the mandate to reservists activated for at least 30 days and ended pay for reservists and National Guard members who got shots on their own.
- The Navy and Marine Corps Force Health Protection Command warned that flu outbreaks can rapidly degrade readiness and mission execution, reflecting internal public-health concern within the services.
- The change is presented alongside the now-rescinded COVID-19 vaccine mandate; about 8,700 troops left the military over COVID-19 vaccine refusal, and a subsequent Trump administration order has produced fewer than two dozen reinstatements to date.
- Congressional Research Service reporting noted the flu shot was previously one of eight vaccines mandatory for troops and that structured processes existed for religious exemptions.
- The policy shift comes after a particularly severe U.S. flu season; public health officials continue to recommend annual flu vaccination for everyone 6 months and older.
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms Hegseth’s memo formally ends the universal flu vaccine requirement for U.S. troops and gives each service 15 days to request keeping a mandate.
- Adds explicit rationale language from Hegseth emphasizing 'medical autonomy' and religious freedom and calling a blanket mandate 'overly broad and not rational.'
- Places the move in a broader Trump administration pattern of dialing back vaccine recommendations, including dropping universal flu and other vaccine recommendations for all children.
- Recaps Congressional Research Service detail that the flu shot was one of eight mandatory vaccines for troops, with structured processes for religious exemptions.
- Notes the change comes after a particularly severe U.S. flu season in which public health officials still recommend annual flu shots for everyone 6 months and older.
- Hegseth signed a memorandum on Monday declaring the annual influenza vaccine voluntary for all Active and Reserve Component service members and Defense Department civilians, effective immediately.
- Hegseth publicly justified the move in a video on X, calling a universal flu-vaccine mandate "overly broad and not rational" and framing it as part of an effort to "restore freedom and strength" to the joint force.
- The article details a May 29, 2025 memo from Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg that had already narrowed the mandate to reserve troops activated for at least 30 days and ended pay for reservists and Guard members getting shots on their own.
- The Navy and Marine Corps Force Health Protection Command is quoted warning that flu outbreaks can rapidly degrade readiness and mission execution, underscoring internal dissent from public health officials within the services.
- The piece situates the change alongside the now-rescinded COVID-19 vaccine mandate, noting about 8,700 troops left over COVID refusal and that a Trump second-term order has produced fewer than two dozen reinstatements so far.