Latest Breaking News

mahatmakanejeeves

(70,787 posts) Tue Apr 21, 2026, 10:40 AM Apr 21

Hegseth announces end of mandatory flu vaccine for military

Source: The Independent, via Yahoo

Hegseth announces end of mandatory flu vaccine for military

The Independent
Tue, April 21, 2026 at 10:14 AM EDT

{nada}

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/hegseth-announces-end-mandatory-flu-141452287.html

Take your pick, Fox News or the Independent.

I'll get a real news source when I can. You know, like the Hindustan Times.

--------

Reposted by No More Mr. Nice Popehat
https://bsky.app/profile/kenwhite.bsky.social

******
Julian Sanchez
‪@normative.bsky.social‬

So when it comes to beards and hairstyles, discipline requires strict conformity. When it comes to contracting and spreading a preventable illness that directly affects unit readiness, follow your bliss, man.

‪Olga Nesterova‬
‪@onestpress.onestnetwork.com‬
· 1h

Make this make sense.

Secretary of War Pete Hegs... # © • 39m
The War Department is once again restoring freedom to our Joint Force.
We are discarding the mandatory flu vaccine requirement, effective immediately.
ALT
10:23 AM · Apr 21, 2026
******

So when it comes to beards and hairstyles, discipline requires strict conformity. When it comes to contracting and spreading a preventable illness that directly affects unit readiness, follow your bliss, man.
— Julian Sanchez (@normative.bsky.social) 2026-04-21T14:23:35.971Z

******
Olga Nesterova
‪@onestpress.onestnetwork.com‬

Make this make sense.

Secretary of War Pete Hegs... # © • 39m
The War Department is once again restoring freedom to our Joint Force.
We are discarding the mandatory flu vaccine requirement, effective immediately.
ALT
10:01 AM · Apr 21, 2026
******

Make this make sense.
— Olga Nesterova (@onestpress.onestnetwork.com) 2026-04-21T14:01:18.281Z

24 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Hegseth announces end of mandatory flu vaccine for military (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves Apr 21 OP

I wonder if they want one, if they'll have to pay out-of-pocket. nt woodsprite Apr 21 #1

The staggering stupidity... GiqueCee Apr 21 #2

It's not stupidity orangecrush Apr 21 #20

What we learn from history is that we don't learn from history. twodogsbarking Apr 21 #3

About 40% of American military deaths in World War 1 were from the Spanish Flu. hadEnuf Apr 21 #13

My great-uncle served in WW1. Cavalry and horse mgmt. Always loved horses. twodogsbarking Apr 21 #15

I read an interview with a WW1 vet who said that when the German gas shells came in their first job hadEnuf Apr 21 #16

The person who was going to save your life was out sick that day. Irish_Dem Apr 21 #4

No flu vaxs on a submarine duckworth969 Apr 21 #5

What could possibly go wrong republianmushroom Apr 21 #6

Insidious way to gut our military strength Marthe48 Apr 21 #7

So WTF does this fool plan to do . . . . AverageOldGuy Apr 21 #8

It's pretty certain few in this administration think and certainly not far ahead enough to plan. eom littlemissmartypants Apr 22 #22

I hope this is just PR BS for Cheetolini IbogaProject Apr 21 #9

This actually IS official nitpicked Apr 21 #10

In Trump's America, the biological warfare is on you!!! (nt) muriel_volestrangler Apr 21 #11

MANY soldiers will be out for at leaset 2 months with loss of weight. Someone please KILL Hegseth dave99 Apr 21 #12

I guess you are joking. Please confirm my guess.... CTyankee Apr 21 #14

I'm sure he means with votes. orangecrush Apr 21 #19

Thanks, Putin orangecrush Apr 21 #17

Damn. So STUPID!! electric_blue68 Apr 21 #18

MaddowBlog-Hegseth takes another step backward, scraps Pentagon policy on flu vaccines LetMyPeopleVote Apr 21 #21

He'll just use draftees to make up the numbers. Probably his assistant suggested that excuse. littlemissmartypants Apr 22 #23

The Spanish Flu -- a deadly postscript to WWI -- started at a US military base? Norrrm Apr 22 #24

woodsprite

(12,592 posts)

1. I wonder if they want one, if they'll have to pay out-of-pocket. nt

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Tue Apr 21, 2026, 10:52 AM

Apr 21

GiqueCee

(4,759 posts)

2. The staggering stupidity...

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Tue Apr 21, 2026, 11:00 AM

Apr 21

... of this witless souse endangers the combat readiness of America's servicemen and -women. Kegsbreath is wildly incompetent, and everything he says and does is performative and for the camera; he is the very definition of a shallow, soulless, bigoted asshole.

orangecrush

(31,182 posts)

20. It's not stupidity

Reply to GiqueCee (Reply #2)

Tue Apr 21, 2026, 05:45 PM

Apr 21

It's 100% intentional.

They're getting paid off to do this by someone.

twodogsbarking

(19,363 posts)

3. What we learn from history is that we don't learn from history.

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Tue Apr 21, 2026, 11:02 AM

Apr 21

Approximately two-thirds (about 66%) of the 620,000 to 750,000 total deaths in the American Civil War were caused by disease rather than battle wounds. For every three soldiers killed in combat, five more died from sickness, with diarrhea and dysentery being the top killers, followed by typhoid, measles, and malaria.

hadEnuf

(3,657 posts)

13. About 40% of American military deaths in World War 1 were from the Spanish Flu.

Reply to twodogsbarking (Reply #3)

Tue Apr 21, 2026, 03:17 PM

Apr 21

And even after covid, we still have complete assholes like Hegseth making these decisions.

twodogsbarking

(19,363 posts)

15. My great-uncle served in WW1. Cavalry and horse mgmt. Always loved horses.

Reply to hadEnuf (Reply #13)

Tue Apr 21, 2026, 04:58 PM

Apr 21

hadEnuf

(3,657 posts)

16. I read an interview with a WW1 vet who said that when the German gas shells came in their first job

Reply to twodogsbarking (Reply #15)

Tue Apr 21, 2026, 05:15 PM

Apr 21

was to get gas masks on the horses, then themselves. The horses were considered that valuable.

Irish_Dem

(82,386 posts)

4. The person who was going to save your life was out sick that day.

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Tue Apr 21, 2026, 11:11 AM

Apr 21

duckworth969

(1,408 posts)

5. No flu vaxs on a submarine

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Tue Apr 21, 2026, 11:16 AM

Apr 21

Can’t imagine that’s very smart

republianmushroom

(22,735 posts)

6. What could possibly go wrong

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Tue Apr 21, 2026, 11:43 AM

Apr 21

with this policy.

Marthe48

(23,459 posts)

7. Insidious way to gut our military strength

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Tue Apr 21, 2026, 12:04 PM

Apr 21

n/t

AverageOldGuy

(4,176 posts)

8. So WTF does this fool plan to do . . . .

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Tue Apr 21, 2026, 12:06 PM

Apr 21

. . . when an infantry platoon is no longer operational because 1/3 of the platoon is down with the flu?

. . . when an artillery battery is no longer operational because 1/3 of the battery is down with the flu?

. . . when an aircraft carrier is no longer operational because 1/3 of the 5,000 people onboard are down with the flu?

. . . when an armored troop is no longer operational because 1/3 of the troop is down with the flu?

. . . when an Air Force squadron is no longer operational because 1/3 of the squadron is down with the flu?

There is a reason for the military rules about vaccinations, personal cleanliness, and the like because history shows that illness and preventable disease cause more casualties in war than does enemy action. Of course, if your ass has never spent week after week in the bush you wouldn't know anything about that.

littlemissmartypants

(34,382 posts)

22. It's pretty certain few in this administration think and certainly not far ahead enough to plan. eom

Reply to AverageOldGuy (Reply #8)

Wed Apr 22, 2026, 03:10 PM

Apr 22

IbogaProject

(6,076 posts)

9. I hope this is just PR BS for Cheetolini

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Tue Apr 21, 2026, 12:15 PM

Apr 21

And I hope each section of the Military can make it required for say health personnel, anyone deployed overseas or on a ship, etc.

nitpicked

(1,974 posts)

10. This actually IS official

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Tue Apr 21, 2026, 01:13 PM

Apr 21

https://www.war.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/4464967/hegseth-flu-vaccine-optional/

muriel_volestrangler

(106,605 posts)

11. In Trump's America, the biological warfare is on you!!! (nt)

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Tue Apr 21, 2026, 01:16 PM

Apr 21

dave99

(272 posts)

12. MANY soldiers will be out for at leaset 2 months with loss of weight. Someone please KILL Hegseth

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Tue Apr 21, 2026, 01:52 PM

Apr 21

Probably no court-martial or civil action will be taken

CTyankee

(68,495 posts)

14. I guess you are joking. Please confirm my guess....

Reply to dave99 (Reply #12)

Tue Apr 21, 2026, 03:41 PM

Apr 21

orangecrush

(31,182 posts)

19. I'm sure he means with votes.

Reply to CTyankee (Reply #14)

Tue Apr 21, 2026, 05:42 PM

Apr 21

orangecrush

(31,182 posts)

17. Thanks, Putin

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Tue Apr 21, 2026, 05:41 PM

Apr 21

electric_blue68

(27,348 posts)

18. Damn. So STUPID!!

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Tue Apr 21, 2026, 05:42 PM

Apr 21

You want (alright, drumphf doesn't) your potential fighting forces in the best shape possible!
Argggg!

LetMyPeopleVote

(182,137 posts)

21. MaddowBlog-Hegseth takes another step backward, scraps Pentagon policy on flu vaccines

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Tue Apr 21, 2026, 06:37 PM

Apr 21

For nearly 250 years, U.S. military leaders have prioritized inoculating the troops. It’s a lesson the current defense secretary hasn’t learned.

During the Revolutionary War, smallpox took such a brutal toll that George Washington decided to inoculate the troops in 1777, ensuring the survival of the United States.

This came to mind watching Hegseth scrap the Pentagonâ€™s policy on flu vaccines for no reason.
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-04-21T18:43:19.505Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/hegseth-takes-another-step-backward-scraps-pentagon-policy-on-flu-vaccines

For all of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s professed interest in “lethality” and warfighting, the former Fox News host has invested an unsettling amount of time and energy into assorted cultural crusades....

Though it might be tempting to think Hegseth would steer clear of the culture war for a while, especially since he’s leading the Pentagon during an actual war, the beleaguered secretary apparently can’t help himself. Politico reported:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday announced an end to the mandatory flu vaccine for all service members, citing a need to restore ‘medical autonomy.’

In a memo issued by Hegseth, the Defense Department said effective immediately, the annual influenza vaccine is voluntary for all active-duty and reserve troops, including civilian personnel in the department. Service members may still choose to receive the vaccine, but it is no longer a condition of service, marking a sweeping reversal of a longstanding health policy.

The secretary probably wouldn’t find the historical details interesting, but let’s take a stroll down memory lane anyway.

During the Revolutionary War, smallpox took such a brutal toll on the American military that George Washington believed he had no choice but to “inoculate all the troops.” The general did exactly that in 1777, and as historian Craig Bruce Smith explained in a memorable piece for Time magazine in 2021, Washington’s decision helped save the lives of countless patriots and “undoubtedly helped ensure the survival of the United States.”

In the generations that followed, the American military has looked out for its troops in the same way Washington did. And in contemporary times, service members have long been required to get plenty of shots as part of their service, including protections against ailments such as diphtheria and measles.....

As The Atlantic’s Adam Serwer noted, “Nothing has killed more soldiers in the history of humanity than disease.” American leaders have wisely taken steps for generations to try to prevent this from happening.

Hegseth, on the heels of a flu season that generated 340,000 hospitalizations and 21,000 deaths in the U.S., is nevertheless deliberately moving the armed forces backward, to the benefit of no one.

littlemissmartypants

(34,382 posts)

23. He'll just use draftees to make up the numbers. Probably his assistant suggested that excuse.

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Wed Apr 22, 2026, 03:13 PM

Apr 22

They are all psychopaths.

Characteristics of Psychopaths

1. Aggressive, callous, and cunning
2. Complete absence of conscience and empathy
3. Very adept at manipulating others
4. Willingness to engage in immoral, criminal conduct
5. Willingness to take what they want and do as they please, regardless of who is hurt or wronged
6. Deceptive ability to appear outwardly benevolent
7. Deceptive ability to behave in superficially charming ways to hide purely selfish motives
8. Willingness to use intimidation and violence to control others in order to satisfy their own needs
9. Willingness to intentionally violate the basic inherent human rights of others
10. Complete absence of any sense of guilt or remorse for the harm their actions have caused to others
11. Rationalization of their own immoral behavior
12. Will attempt to lay blame upon someone else for their own conduct
13. Denial, will deny their own wrongdoing outright
14. Utter contemptuousness toward the feelings and desires of their fellow beings
15. Pathological lying, will say anything without any concern for truth to advance their own hidden agendas
16. Ablity to feign [fake] normal human emotions and empathy
17. Distorted sense of the consequences of their actions
18. Total failure to accept any responsibility for their own socially irresponsible ways
19. Strong bellef that they will never be brought to justice for their criminal behavior

Norrrm

(5,603 posts)

24. The Spanish Flu -- a deadly postscript to WWI -- started at a US military base?

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Wed Apr 22, 2026, 06:38 PM

Apr 22

The Spanish Flu — a deadly postscript to WWI — started at a US military base...

Where can you find a large, clustered group of people who spread out all over the world?...

Able to spread the flu to the folks back home while on leave...

Able to take the flu from the folks back home back to his buddies all over the world...

And getting paid for it... (Yeah, sarcasm)

https://www.navytimes.com/veterans/military-history/2026/04/22/the-spanish-flu-a-deadly-postscript-to-wwi-started-at-a-us-military-base/ ...
--------------------------------------...
(2026) Flu vaccine requirement discarded ‘effective immediately,’ Hegseth says...

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2026/04/21/flu-vaccine-requirement-discarded-effective-immediately-hegseth-says/
.
----------------------
Shots in boot camp

Reply to this discussion

Kick in to the DU tip jar?

This week we're running a special pop-up mini fund drive. From Monday through Friday we're going ad-free for all registered members, and we're asking you to kick in to the DU tip jar to support the site and keep us financially healthy.

As a bonus, making a contribution will allow you to leave kudos for another DU member, and at the end of the week we'll recognize the DUers who you think make this community great.