Historical requirements
It is unclear which strain of flu is circulating on the base. Circulation of seasonal influenza viruses is lower in the general population during the summer months. But activity does not drop to zero, and close and extensive contact within the base facilitates transmission.
In a statement to Ars Technica, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the Pentagon has granted exceptions to Hegseth’s discretionary flu shot policy to the Army, Navy, Air Force, National Security Agency and Defense Health Agency. The exemptions came after a “comprehensive review” and are in line with standard policy of “tailoring force health protection measures to critical operational realities.”
“Decisions are based on comprehensive risk assessments and are designed to maximize operational readiness, lethality and force generation while protecting at-risk populations,” he said.
With the exception, the Air Force aims to vaccinate all recruits at its Texas base, according to ABC News, and the Army is preparing to expand the reinstated vaccination requirement to other groups, including troops deployed overseas.
The US military has a long history with pathogens, beginning with George Washington in 1777 Continental soldiers to be vaccinated against smallpoxHe destroyed the army during the Revolutionary War. In March 1918severe cases of influenza occurred at the military base Kansas. The subsequent 1918 flu pandemic is estimated to have killed the area 43,000 US troopsAbout half of US military deaths during World War I.
The US military supported the development of the first flu vaccine tested for safety and effectiveness in military members. The US military has released information about this (Influenza vaccination mandate in 1945when the vaccine was licensed.
