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Following the controversial and now-reversed 2021 COVID-19 vaccine mandate—deemed “unlawful as implemented”—vaccine skepticism has grown significantly within the military community.
Some service members are now facing disciplinary action for objecting to the annual flu vaccine, arguing it’s both ineffective and harmful to their health and religious beliefs. An anonymous Marine officer and Air Force Major Brennan Schilperoort both oppose the flu shot on moral and religious grounds, citing previous adverse reactions and natural immunity. Rather than honoring their Constitutionally protected rights, the military has opted to discharge both. While Maj. Schilperoort’s pay has since been restored, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth remains silent on their pending separations.
Independent journalist Jeremy Hammond, whose work on vaccine policy has drawn praise from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., weighed in on the issue. Hammond said, “The coerced vaccination of military service members is yet another unfortunate example of how the government systematically violates individuals’ right to informed consent.” He added, “This policy exists despite scientific evidence indicating that getting an annual flu shot can actually increase the risk of influenza illness.”
One such piece of evidence comes from a Cleveland Clinic study involving 54,402 employees during the 2024–2025 flu season. The study, published as a preprint on MedRxiv, found that those who received the flu shot had a 26.9% higher risk of contracting influenza compared to the unvaccinated—meaning vaccinated individuals were 27% more likely to get the flu. Although the study has not yet undergone peer review, it raised serious questions about the vaccine’s effectiveness.
While the CDC and other public health bodies continue to recommend the annual flu shot, studies like the one from Cleveland Clinic have fueled concern over its efficacy. For service members seeking exemptions, existing research appears to support their objections.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., now Secretary of Health and Human Services, referenced key findings in a 2020 letter to Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He cited a 2010 Cochrane review which found “no evidence that [flu] vaccines prevent viral transmission or complications.” Another study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2018 found vaccinated individuals exhaled over six times more aerosolized influenza virus than those unvaccinated. Kennedy also pointed to a 2020 Department of Defense study which showed the flu shot increased the risk of coronavirus infection by 36%.
Hammond emphasized how mainstream media often misrepresents such studies. “The 2010 Cochrane review is a good example of how the science is systematically misrepresented,” he said. “The New York Times cited it to support the claim that flu shot confers ‘a big payoff in public health’, when in fact… the review authors went so far in their criticism of the CDC’s policy as to accuse it of deliberately misrepresenting the science.”
He continued, “CDC policymakers refuse to consider that superior natural immunity is an opportunity cost of vaccination,” adding that many studies report “an increased [emphasis added] risk of influenza illness associated with annual receipt of flu shots.” He also mentioned “original antigenic sin,” where the immune system’s initial response can hinder future immune reactions.
Among studies he cited were those published in PLOS Medicine in 2010, which linked the 2009 seasonal flu shot to increased risk of swine flu, and a 2011 Journal of Virology paper that suggested repeated flu shots impaired the body’s development of strong cell-mediated immunity.
Hammond also discussed “non-specific effects” of vaccination: “Just because a vaccine is effective at reducing the risk of illness from the target pathogen does not mean that it reduces the overall risk of illness.” He pointed to a 2012 study in Clinical Infectious Diseases that found vaccinated children faced a higher risk of non-influenza infections.
“Even a CDC-funded study in 2014 showed diminishing effectiveness over time,” Hammond noted. “Protection was greatest for individuals not vaccinated during the prior five years.” However, the study excluded those who had never received the vaccine, which Hammond criticized: “You can’t find what you don’t look for, so the CDC doesn’t bother looking.”
Recently, Maj. Schilperoort shared his story on Air Force Col. (Ret.) Rob Maness’s show, and later appeared on the Finding Your Spine podcast with Dr. Chase Spears.
