US government abolishes mandatory vaccination

"Our new line is simple: if you - as an American warrior entrusted with the defense of this country - believe the flu vaccine is in your best interest, you can get it; you should. But we're not going to force you," Hegseth says in the video. During the coronavirus pandemic, the previous government "forced men and women in uniform to choose between their beliefs and their country, even when those choices posed no threat to our military readiness". This "era of betrayal" is now over.

"Hegseth's decision is negligent"

Critics consider the change of course by the minister, who is regarded by many as a religious zealot, to be a serious mistake. "Hegseth's decision is reckless and puts our military readiness at risk," warned Democratic MP Jason Crow, who once fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. Army veteran Richard Ricciardi, who now teaches health courses as a university professor, told the US broadcaster CNN: "In the military, vaccinations are not political theater, but serve to protect the troops. Soldiers live and work in close quarters, so flu viruses can spread rapidly and incapacitate otherwise healthy troops."

Since President Donald Trump took office, the US government has repeatedly denied scientifically recognized facts on the subject of vaccinations. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in particular has questioned the usefulness of vaccinations. He established a link between vaccinations and autism - which has been refuted by researchers - and advised against injections against measles for a long time. When the number of new infections soared to its highest level in decades, he described vaccinations as the most effective means of containing the epidemic.