Health experts are hoping the effects of new Pentagon policy are minimal following Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s directive to make flu vaccines optional rather than required.
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“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. …
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It’s a sea change in the ranks, as vaccines have been required for U.S. service members dating back to the 1950s.
Georges Benjamin, CEO of the American Public Health Association, told Military.com it is “an irresponsible decision that will undermine the medical readiness of our troops.”
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He feels strongly about the issue because he is familiar with it.
He is a former military physician who trained in the U.S. Army and was ER director for four years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He also served on the public health advisory committee of the Defense Health Board.
… “We know what flu does to troops who are quartered closely together, who share food, who share rooms, and contagious diseases like influenza can put a whole unit out of service,” [said Benjamin].
