Soldiers

Mandatory Swine Flu Vaccination for US Service Members

Strategic Insights

Nov 27, 2009 — 1 min read

After the recent outbreak of swine flu in the United States, the Department of Defense has mandated all service members, whether deployed or stateside, to receive a vaccination for the H1N1 virus. The vaccination is being distributed in batches from Army Medical Logistics, with Marines and sailors lining up to get their mandatory shots from corpsmen aboard Al Asad Air Base, Iraq. The vaccination is crucial to protect service members from the rapidly spreading epidemic in the states, with Lt. Cmdr. John Brooks explaining that it takes the body a week to 10 days to recognize the virus and begin fighting against it.

Key Takeaways:

The Department of Defense has mandated all service members to receive a vaccination for the H1N1 virus in response to the swine flu outbreak.
The vaccination is being distributed in batches from Army Medical Logistics, with a limited supply due to recent FDA approval.
Service members with II Marine Expeditionary Force (Fwd) have been lining up to get their mandatory shots from corpsmen aboard Al Asad Air Base, Iraq.
The vaccination is crucial to protect service members from the rapidly spreading epidemic in the states.
The seasonal flu shot changes each time it is released, featuring the top three most likely strains to become most active.
Medical professionals are working to formulate the vaccine with these strains to provide effective protection against the flu.
Service members who miss their open window to receive the vaccination at their designated site can report to the medical clinic on base for their required dose.

Statistics:

Over 300 different flu strains exist, with medical professionals taking the top three most likely strains to become most active to formulate the vaccine.
It takes the body a week to 10 days to recognize the virus and begin fighting against it after receiving the vaccination.
Most deployed Marines and sailors have already received their annual flu shots, underlining the importance of the swine flu vaccination.
The swine flu has become an epidemic in the states, emphasizing the need for protection among service members.

Sources:

U.S. Marine Corps

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