Pentagon, TRICARE Exclude Moderna’s mRNA Flu Shot

TL;DR: The Pentagon has barred purchase and use of Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine until formally authorized. TRICARE does not cover it, and a separate policy makes annual flu shots voluntary for most troops.

The Pentagon has barred military purchase and use of Moderna’s new mRNA flu vaccine, while TRICARE has excluded the shot from coverage because it lacks a CDC recommendation.

The restrictions appear in an Aug. 26 memo signed by Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata. The memo, attached below, directs military health and supply agencies to use existing flu vaccines for the 2026–27 season.

“Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) mFLUSIVA® influenza vaccine for adults aged 50 and older, procurement and administration of mFLUSIVA® is unauthorized,” Tata wrote.

The order reaches beyond a decision about insurance coverage. It bars Defense Health Program funds from being used to buy, distribute or administer mRNA flu vaccine alternatives until they are formally authorized.

Tata’s memo says TRICARE’s vaccine benefit follows CDC recommendations, rather than covering every vaccine approved by the FDA. The TRICARE website confirms the exclusion: “TRICARE doesn’t cover the mFLUSIVA mRNA flu vaccine.” It says coverage policies may change if the CDC recommends the shot.

The FDA approved mFLUSIVA on Aug. 5 for adults 50 and older. That approval remains in place. The Pentagon’s restrictions govern military purchase and use; they do not revoke the vaccine’s civilian license.

The CDC’s decision to retain older guidance has left the new product outside its current flu vaccine recommendations. In its Sept. 1 guidance, the agency cited “legal uncertainties and inquiries” and kept the July 2025 recommendations in effect for the 2026–27 season.

In an article on Focal Points, Nicholas Hulscher, MPH highlighted several of the safety concerns with mFLUSIVA. In a reanalysis of FDA trial data, Hulscher, Dr. Peter McCullough and John Catanzaro reported severe systemic reactions that prevented daily activity in 5.5% of mFLUSIVA recipients, versus 0.9% with a standard flu shot. They also identified 23 deaths classified as unexplained among mFLUSIVA recipients, compared with 9 in the pooled comparison groups. The authors argued that these findings, weighed against modest absolute benefits, warrant withdrawal of approval. The death imbalance raises a safety question but does not establish that the vaccine caused those deaths.

According to Hulscher, this reanalysis was sent “directly to senior HHS officials.”

The CDC guidance does not say that review drove its decision.

The product restrictions on mFLUSIVA are separate from the Pentagon’s broader move to end its blanket annual flu shot mandate.

In an April 20 memo, also attached below, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth wrote: “Effective immediately, the annual influenza vaccine is voluntary for all Active and Reserve Component Service members and Department of War civilian personnel.”

That memo gave services and other components 15 days to submit requests for exceptions through Pentagon health officials. The Department announced the change April 21.

In a later public statement, Tata said exceptions could apply in settings such as basic training and operational deployments.

Conventional flu vaccines remain available. TRICARE continues to cover eligible flu shots through military facilities, participating pharmacies and authorized providers, subject to plan rules.

For troops and military families, the policies have distinct effects: annual flu vaccination is generally voluntary, existing vaccines remain covered, and Moderna’s mRNA product remains outside military use and TRICARE coverage.

For the general population, mFLUSIVA remains available — for now.