Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the Department of Defense is terminating its mandatory flu vaccine requirement effective immediately.
“The War Department is once again restoring freedom to our Joint Force,” Hegseth stated in his announcement. “Under the disastrous Biden administration, this Pentagon waged an unrelenting war on our warriors on many fronts, including when it came to denying them simple medical autonomy and the freedom to express their religious convictions.”
Hegseth added that service members were previously forced to choose between their conscience and their country—a choice he linked to the pandemic-era vaccine mandates. “You know what I’m talking about. What happened, COVID-19 and the vaccine. No more. That era of betrayal is over,” he continued.
“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 the flu vaccine is in your best interest, then you are free to take it. You should. But we will not force you.”
The Pentagon had previously required annual flu vaccinations for years, arguing widespread immunization protected readiness—especially in close-quarter environments. A September 2025 memo from Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg initially softened the policy: Reservists would only need vaccination if on active duty for 30+ days, and the military would stop covering vaccines during personal time. That memo sent mixed signals, leaving annual requirements intact for active-duty personnel in some cases.
Hegseth’s announcement marks a shift beyond those limited exemptions, ending universal flu vaccine mandates entirely. The directive allows military services 15 days to request exceptions from the policy change.
The move follows months of effort by the Trump administration to revisit military vaccine policies after the contentious fight over the COVID-19 mandate, which separated over 8,400 troops for refusing vaccination in 2021. Congress rescinded that mandate in early 2023 after more than 99% of active-duty personnel in the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps completed vaccinations.