U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday that the military is dropping its annual flu vaccine requirement for all service members.
In a video posted to social media, Hegseth cited "medical autonomy" and religious freedom as reasons for eliminating the mandate.
The War Department is once again restoring freedom to our Joint Force.
We are discarding the mandatory flu vaccine requirement, effective immediately. pic.twitter.com/9K5W8g0NsD
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) April 21, 2026
"The notion that a flu vaccine must be mandatory for every service member, everywhere, in every circumstance at all times is just overly broad and not rational," Hegseth said. "Our new policy is simple. If you — an American warrior entrusted to defend this nation — believe that the flu vaccine is in your best interest, then you are free to take it, you should. But we will not force you because your body, your faith and your convictions are not negotiable."
Vaccine mandates in the U.S. military have been longstanding but gained criticism during the coronavirus pandemic when over 8,000 troops were forced out of the military for refusing to obey the 2021 COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The Pentagon dropped the mandate two years later after nearly all active duty military members had gotten the vaccine.
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Then in 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to reinstate troops who were discharged from the military for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. The administration alleged the dismissals had a "chilling" effect on recruitment and promised troops who were reinstated would be entitled to their former rank and back pay.
However, the decision to rescind the flu vaccine mandate follows what health experts have classified as a particularly severe flu season in which cases and hospitalizations surged. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there have been 370,000 hospitalizations and 23,000 deaths from flu so far from the 2025-2026 season.
