Vaccine provocation

our daughter got married early december '19. our other daughter and i got really sick and it lingered for a long time. we've always wondered...

 

Makes sense -- since this was of course hallowed pre-covid times... there were a lot of E- /SE-Asian tourist traffic here on Maui over the holiday season, natch. HI in general's a huge holiday destination for East Asia in particular, so makes sense geography-wise... but remember also twin-engine jets that could fly direct LAX/TPE, LAX/NRT & HNL/PEK were established and profitable... so the spread was virtually guaranteed to go as wild as it did.

I'd no idea what hit me -- hadn't been that sick in decades. This event actually convinced me (prior to covid, which wrote it in stone) to get flu vaxes.

 

Unlike covid vaccinations, flu vaccinations are still mandatory for military members and have been more or less since 1945.
MUCH more since the 50's.
Military personnel can get COVID-19 shots, but the mandatory requirement was rescinded in 2023, allowing for personal choice, though the Department of Defense encourages vaccination for readiness and health - meaning encouraged....not "ENCOURAGED."
IYNYN.

 

That's super-interesting... we're roughly similar eras (you perhaps 10y my mil senior)... but didn't have to get a single flu shot whilst CONUS, not one (which is why for years I never got them, claiming they just made me sick. Fast forward 30y ). They offered them at the dispensary but wasn't mandatory for Army of the time at least. Navy, no idea it wasn't a choice... but as a flu shot devotee now, was obvi the right call for sailors bunched up in metal hulls or giant sewer pipes 6 mos at a time

Overseas... now that was a bit different. Since we were traipsing around on leave w/ EC or Eurail passes all over Europe, had to get regular shots for all the usual travel bugs (seem to remember rabies and yellow fever), freely interacting w/ civilians... including flu shots. That ended PCSing home tho

 

Can't speak to the Army's policy but the USN is VERY humorless when it comes to vaccinations, and when I traded sneaks in for 782 gear I saw more than a few squids receive ADSEPS for not getting their flu shots.
THANK GOD (!!) I retired before the whole COVID flap-a-doodle hit the fan.