Navy Reinstates Mandatory Flu Shots for Trainees and Certain Personnel
The U.S. Navy has reversed the Pentagon’s optional-flu-vaccine policy, making the influenza shot compulsory for new recruits, officer candidates, academy students and specific groups of sailors and civilians.
In April, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that military personnel could choose whether to receive the yearly influenza vaccine, citing medical autonomy. A week ago the Navy contradicted that stance, ordering the flu shot for all sailors and associated civilians entering basic training, Officer Candidate School, the U.S. Naval Academy, officer accession programs and directly commissioned officers. The requirement also extends to Navy medical staff, deployed sailors in jurisdictions that mandate vaccination, reserve members supporting the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Enhanced Response Enterprise, and civilians working in Navy-run child-development programs.
While the policy encourages vaccination across the force, limited exemptions remain possible. The move comes a month after a severe flu outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, where over 200 recruits fell ill, four were hospitalized and one died, spurring the Air Force to reinstate its own flu-shot mandate. The Army is also reportedly tightening its vaccination rules for overseas deployments.
Why it matters
Mandatory flu shots aim to curb outbreaks that could jeopardize military readiness and training schedules.
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