Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the Pentagon will no longer require military personnel to get annual flu shots, which had been mandatory for over 80 years. Hegseth called the mandate 'overly broad' and 'not rational,' framing the change as removing an 'absurd' requirement that he claims weakens military readiness; the policy applies to active duty, reserve, and civilian Pentagon personnel. The announcement comes as part of a broader pattern of vaccine mandate rollbacks following the COVID-19 discharge controversy, though the article doesn't specify whether this signals a shift in military health readiness protocols or epidemiological monitoring during flu seasons.