In April 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ended the U.S. military's decades-old mandatory flu vaccination requirement, calling it an "absurd" and "overreaching" mandate and citing "medical autonomy." In June, flu cases began rising at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas — where only about 40 percent of trainees had chosen the now-optional shot. By June 25, cases had reached 275, with four hospitalizations.
This week, the Pentagon quietly reversed course.
