The army traded its flu vaccine mandate for ‘medical freedom’ – a plague briefly adopted

Source link : https://bq3anews.com/the-army-traded-its-flu-vaccine-mandate-for-medical-freedom-a-plague-briefly-adopted/

As of June 23, 2026, a minimum of 222 recruits at the base have fallen in poor health and 4 have reportedly been hospitalized.

In his April 21 announcement making the flu vaccine non-compulsory, Hegseth cited clinical autonomy and spiritual freedom, describing the vaccination requirement as “overly broad and not rational,” telling troops that “your body, your faith and your convictions are not negotiable.”

The flu shot requirement that Hegseth ended have been in position since 1945, with one temporary pause in 1949. It used to be a part of a practice of army vaccine mandates just about as outdated as the US itself.

As an epidemiologist who research vaccine-preventable illnesses, I discovered the tip of the flu mandate putting much less for its rapid affect than for what it alerts. For many of American historical past, army commanders took as a right that infectious illness may price them a battle, which is why vaccination used to be regarded as an issue of army readiness slightly than private selection.

The Lackland outbreak is proof that the underlying epidemiology has now not modified – simplest the political local weather surrounding public well being.

A practice that began with George Washington

The primary American army vaccine mandate predates the Charter. Within the wintry weather of 1777, Gen. George Washington ordered the mass inoculation of the Continental Military in opposition to smallpox.

His resolution wasn’t ideological – it used to be…

—-

Author : bq3anews

Publish date : 2026-06-24 21:33:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

—-

12345678