Allowing Our Military To Refuse Flu Vaccination Is A Bad Idea. Here’s Why

InnovationHealthcareAllowing Our Military To Refuse Flu Vaccination Is A Bad Idea. Here’s WhyByArthur L. Kellermann,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. health policy, medical and public health leaderFollow AuthorApr 22, 2026, 09:13am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.WASHINGTON, DC - Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)Getty ImagesOn Tuesday, April 20, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced new guidance on influenza vaccination. His memo states: “Effective immediately, the annual influenza vaccine is voluntary for all Active and Reserve Component Service members and Department of War civilian personnel.” Whether this policy change was Sec. Hegseth’s idea or originated in the White House is unclear. Either way, it ignores the devastating impact flu had on our armed forces in 1918 and it contradicts 249 years of U.S. military doctrine regarding the importance of preserving the fighting strength of U.S. forces. Politics PrevailThe administration’s hostility to vaccines is well known. One week after President Trump returned to the Oval Office, he signed Executive Order 14184. It allowed military servicemembers who had been voluntarily or involuntarily discharged for refusing COVID-19 vaccination to be reinstated with restored rank, back pay, and correction of their military records. RFK Jr. has gone out of his way to undermine trust in vaccines. When (not if) the next pandemic strain of influenza takes hold, mRNA is the only known technology capable of quickly producing an effective vaccine. But in Aug 2025, HHS canceled nearly $500 million in contracts that were funding mRNA vaccine development.The “Spanish Flu” (1918-1919)The flu pandemic of 1918-1919 was one of the deadliest in world history. Because the first reports of widespread illness and death originated in Spain, it became known as the “Spanish...