Energetic-duty Marines and sailors should nonetheless get the annual flu shot, regardless of adjustments to the Pentagon’s coverage, a Protection Division official confirmed to USNI Information.
The Pentagon launched new steerage in a Could 29 memo however didn’t announce it publicly. The Related Press obtained the memo final week.
Whereas the coverage doesn’t change flu necessities for active-duty service members, the Pentagon will not compensate members of the Nationwide Guard and reserve parts of every department who select to get the flu shot until they’re activated for 30 consecutive days, a Pentagon official instructed USNI Information.
Necessities for civilians will probably be decided based mostly on occupational threat, the official stated. All healthcare employees will nonetheless must get the flu vaccine.
“The power of our army is constructed on the readiness of America’s courageous women and men in uniform,” reads the Could 29 memo. “To make sure that readiness, the Division invests in drive well being safety to fight threats from a wide range of infectious illnesses, together with seasonal influenza, or the ‘flu.’ This steerage supplies common sense revisions to the Division’s present flu immunization necessities to proceed to assist a medically prepared drive whereas exercising stewardship of taxpayer {dollars}.”
The flu vaccine is out there without charge to army well being system beneficiaries and might be discovered at army remedy amenities or clinics which have them in inventory, a Protection Well being Company official instructed USNI Information.
Energetic-duty service members will probably be given precedence at army well being system amenities. The flu pictures are additionally out there at pharmacies within the TRICARE community or at a TRICARE-authorized supplier, the official stated.
For the Navy, U.S. Navy ships, operational belongings and coaching instructions will probably be given precedence for the flu shot, in response to a service memo launched on Sept. 26.
Navy operational items and Navy Medication Readiness and Coaching Instructions should administer the flu shot to sailors by Jan. 15, in response to the coverage.
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