WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Tuesday that the Department of Defense will no longer require U.S. service members to receive an annual flu shot. In a video posted to X, Hegseth said troops will be free to choose whether to receive the flu vaccine and that the Pentagon will not require the shot.

"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. He said the decision to end the flu vaccination mandate is part of the Trump administration's effort to restore freedom and strength to the joint force.

According to a memorandum Hegseth signed on Monday, effective immediately, the annual influenza vaccine is voluntary for all Active and Reserve Component service members and Department of Defense civilians.

"We're seizing this moment to discard any absurd, overreaching mandates that only weaken our war-fighting capabilities," he said. "In this case, this includes the universal flu vaccine and the mandate behind it."

A May 29, 2025, memorandum from Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg states that the department will "conserve its resources by requiring seasonal flu vaccination for service members only when doing so most directly contributes to readiness." The Feinberg memorandum states that only reservists activated for at least 30 days are required to receive flu shots, and that the department will no longer pay reservists or National Guard members for time spent obtaining the flu vaccine on their own.

Under the Biden administration, the Department of Defense required all service members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. About 8,700 active duty and reserve troops voluntarily or involuntarily left the military after refusing to receive that vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine mandate was rescinded in 2023. Soon after the start of President Trump's second term, he signed an executive order making reinstatement available to troops discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. As of last August, fewer than two dozen service members had been reinstated under the executive order, and hundreds had applied.