WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) sharply criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision to make the annual flu vaccine optional for all U.S. military service members, calling the move “incredibly stupid” and warning it puts troops and national readiness at risk.
Crow, a former Army Ranger who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, made the remarks in a video posted to X on Thursday, just two days after Hegseth announced the policy change.
Crow’s Statement and Video Message
In the video, Rep. Crow stated: “Ending the flu vaccine requirement is incredibly stupid. Our military has implemented safe & healthy vaccines for nearly 250 years. Hegseth’s putting our soldiers, sailors, and airmen at great risk.”
He continued: “This vaccine, like many others, have a long and proven history of making people healthier and safer. In fact, the military first instituted a vaccine requirement during the Revolutionary War. It was George Washington who decided to do smallpox vaccines for the Continental Army… When we didn’t have a flu vaccine during World War I, 45,000 of our soldiers died just of the flu.”
Crow emphasized the close-quarters nature of military life: “You come in close proximity to people in military service, like I did in Iraq and Afghanistan… when people get sick in a unit, oftentimes the entire unit gets sick. When you sign up to serve in the military, you join a team… you have to do things to keep the team safe and to actually perform your mission.”
Hegseth’s Announcement
On April 21, Secretary Hegseth announced that the annual influenza vaccine is no longer mandatory for active-duty, reserve, and civilian personnel in the Defense Department.
In a video posted on social media, Hegseth said: “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.” He added that the new policy allows service members to choose the vaccine if they believe it is in their best interest.
The memo follows the department’s earlier decision to end the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Hegseth described mandatory flu shots as an example of “overreaching mandates that only weaken our warfighting capabilities.”
Context and Background
The military has required various vaccines for centuries, beginning with George Washington’s smallpox inoculation order during the Revolutionary War. During World War I, influenza killed an estimated 45,000 U.S. service members — more than combat in some theaters.
Critics of Hegseth’s decision, including Crow, argue that in the high-density environment of barracks, ships, aircraft, and deployed units, a contagious illness like the flu can rapidly sideline entire formations and degrade readiness.
Supporters of the new policy view it as restoring personal choice and ending what they call government overreach on vaccines. The change aligns with the Trump administration’s broader efforts to roll back certain public-health mandates put in place in recent years.
As of Thursday, no immediate data has been released on potential impacts to force health or readiness, but the policy shift has already sparked debate in Congress and among veterans’ groups.
This latest controversy comes amid ongoing personnel changes and policy shifts at the Pentagon under Secretary Hegseth’s leadership.