Image: Wikimedia Commons (Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Jacquelyn Childs)
On Monday, War Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memorandum to Pentagon leadership and other defense agencies stating that, “effective immediately,” Active and Reserve Components Service members, along with Department of War civilian personnel, will no longer be required to receive the flu vaccine. According to the updated guidance, the shot is “the annual influenza vaccine is voluntary.”
In a video shared on X this morning, which has garnered more than 3.5 million views at the time of this report, Hegseth said, “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.”
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
In the video, he stated that U.S. service members have the option to receive the flu shot, but they will not be mandated to do so, emphasizing that “your body, your faith and your convictions are not negotiable.”
This new guidance clearly recognizes the ineffectiveness and unnecessary nature of the flu shot, while also affirming the Constitutionally protected religious rights that support a service member’s objection to it.
Consistent with research findings, it can be inferred that the Department of War has acknowledged that the likelihood of influenza was considerably greater for those who were vaccinated than for those who remained unvaccinated.
Conincidentally, this decision follows persistent efforts by The Gateway Pundit to champion the rights of service members, such as U.S. Air Force Major Brennan Schilperoort, who encountered considerable difficulties due to his refusal of the flu shot grounded in strong religious beliefs and health apprehensions.
After receiving the news, many service members reached out to the author of this article to express their enthusiasm about the guidance, which will effectively protect their careers by preventing reprimands and punishment over Constitutionally protected objections to the shot.
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