So the USAF asked for exemption to this sad policy to vax Airman in boot camp since cases have continued to climb.
"The U.S. military is again requiring flu shots for new recruits, just two months after the secretary of defense declared the vaccine optional for troops, as an outbreak at an Air Force training base spreads.
The Army, Navy and Air Force have each been granted exceptions to the new optional annual flu vaccine policy and are once more mandating flu shots for basic trainees, according to officials cited by ABC News."
https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2026-06-25/air-force-outbreak-grows-as-military-reinstates-flu-shot-rule-for-recruitsAlso studies from the government on benefits of flu vaccine.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu-vaccines-work/benefits/index.htmlFlu vaccination can reduce the risk of flu-related hospitalization and admission to intensive care.
Flu vaccination prevents hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations each year.
For example, CDC estimates that during 20242025, flu vaccination prevented 180,000 flu-related hospitalizations in the United States.
A 2025 study showed that flu vaccination reduced the risk of flu-related hospitalization for influenza A(H1N1) viruses and influenza B viruses, while vaccine effectiveness was not statistically significant for influenza A(H3N2) viruses (meaning that there was not clear evidence of a protective effect).
A 2018 study showed that from 2012 to 2015, flu vaccination among adults reduced the risk of being admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) with flu by 82%.
A 2017 systematic review found that during the 20102011 through 20142015 flu seasons, flu vaccination reduced the risk of flu-related hospitalization among older adults by about 40% on average.
A 2014 study showed that flu vaccination reduced children's risk of flu-related pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission by 74% during flu seasons from 2010 to 2012.
