Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday that the U.S. military will no longer require service members to receive an annual influenza vaccine, ending a long-standing force health protection policy. The change marks another step in the Pentagon's rollback of mandatory vaccination requirements for troops under the current administration.

The flu vaccine had been a routine requirement for military personnel for decades, with the Defense Department historically citing force readiness and the unique risks of infectious disease spread in close-quarters military environments as justification for the mandate. The new policy makes the influenza vaccine voluntary for service members rather than a condition of service.

The announcement follows the earlier elimination of the military's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, which was among the first actions taken by defense leadership after the change in administration. Critics of vaccine mandates within conservative circles had long argued that such requirements infringed on individual medical autonomy, while supporters maintained they were essential to maintaining a healthy and deployable fighting force.

Public health experts and some military medical professionals have raised concerns that reducing vaccination rates among densely housed military populations could increase the risk of flu outbreaks that impact unit readiness. The Pentagon has not yet detailed what, if any, alternative force health measures will be implemented in place of the mandate.