Military branches restore flu shot requirement after virus swept through base

https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/06/military-branches-restore-flu-shot-requirement-after-virus-swept-through-base/

60•tzs•1h ago

Comments

Hikikomori•59m ago

Aren't flu shots woke stuff?

wrs•56m ago

They're also anti-"freedom". (Individual freedom being one of the paramount values of the military.) (edit: Sorry, thought the sarcasm would be obvious…)

jqpabc123•37m ago

Yes, nothing says "freedom" quite like having virtually every aspect of your life dictated and strictly controlled by the military establishment.

But fortunately, "leadership" decided to allow recruits the freedom to be stupid and contagious and ultimately detrimental to the military mission and readiness.

BLKNSLVR•26m ago

But no beards, they're as dangerous as vaccines!

BLKNSLVR•26m ago

> Individual freedom being one of the paramount values of the military

I'm assuming sarcasm, my understanding is that the literal opposite is true.

ngai_aku•49m ago

“not rational” and freedom-restricting.

Lasted two months lol

jqpabc123•24m ago

Stupid is as stupid does.

georgemcbay•33m ago

> Aren't flu shots woke stuff?

Sure are, but unfortunately it turns out that reality still has a strong liberal bias.

robwwilliams•21m ago

Genius comment. Thanks for the belly laugh.

Arodex•58m ago

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.

greenavocado•53m ago

Back in 2010 the situation was already extremely grim. Yes, they did test for tuberculosis upon intake and took blood samples for many hepatitis variants and possible a few other things. However, they let severe respiratory viruses run through everyone like wildfire for weeks without the slightest effort to prevent disease. They purposely let people get extremely cold and wet and didn't give a damn if people got sick. This is NOT new.

hammock•58m ago

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.

0cf8612b2e1e•45m ago

There is (was?) a mandatory list of vaccines all military had to receive upon enlisting.

lokar•44m ago

It’s common sense for any congregate housing arrangement

wrs•51m ago

>"The decisions were based upon thorough risk assessments..."

Both decisions? Or just the walkback one?

dqv•35m ago

> 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?

annzabelle•25m ago

There are a few obscure ones.

Uniformed Health Service (the reason the Surgeon General is a General), which I'm certain is vaccinated.

NOAA also has uniformed personnel.

jimjimjim•35m ago

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

andsoitis•29m ago

It turns out eventually you have to deal with reality.

SecretDreams•8m ago

Sadly, all the time spent deferring reality ends up hurting a lot of bystanders. The debt they've run up is going to be painful, maybe moreso than the damages incurred from the anti-science and anti-transparency policies.

vkou•4m ago

The debt would be less painful if the pricks that were responsible for this mess would be billed for the consequences of their poor king-making.

We can start with whomever showed up to that inauguration, and expand from there. If they could afford that bribe, they can certainly afford to pay for repairing the damage their golden boy has caused.

bko•4m ago

What does this mean

beart•24m ago

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.

actionfromafar•8m ago

Can't you just drink raw milk instead? - RFK Jr

sandworm101•4m ago

The covid refusal also became a scam. If you refused then you couldnt be deployed. But it tool months to kick people out. So people who didnt want to deploy would refuse and then agree to get the shot at the last minute. So it kept them home for up to six months while thier buddies went overseas..

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