South Dakota Immunization Leaders Welcome Senator Rounds’ Support for Flu Vaccination Requirements in the Military
SIOUX FALLS, SD [April 28, 2026] — South Dakota vaccine advocates are welcoming recent comments from Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) expressing support for maintaining the annual flu vaccine requirement for U.S. service members.
In recent remarks to The New York Times, Senator Rounds said, “It’s a proven vaccine… I personally would like to see it still in place.” For organizations working to protect public health across the state, the statement reflects a shared understanding that vaccines remain one of the most effective tools to keep people healthy and systems running smoothly.
“The flu vaccine has a long track record of protecting individuals and preventing disruptions, especially in settings like the military where readiness matters,” said Carmen Toft, director of South Dakota Families for Vaccines. “We appreciate Senator Rounds recognizing the value of keeping that protection in place.”
Experts note that consistent vaccination policies play an important role in maintaining workforce stability and reducing the spread of illness, whether in military settings, health care systems, or local communities. Research has shown that requirements can significantly increase vaccination rates and help prevent avoidable outbreaks.
“Influenza is often underestimated, but it can have serious consequences, especially for vulnerable populations,” said Dani Gullickson, executive director of Immunize South Dakota. “Annual vaccination is a simple, effective way to protect individuals and the broader community.”
For families who have experienced the impact of influenza firsthand, the issue is deeply personal.
“The flu is not just a bad cold; it can be life-threatening. I know this firsthand as I lost my 2-year-old daughter, Gianna, to the flu,” said Angie Wehrkamp, Sioux Falls resident and board member of Families Fighting Flu. “We’re encouraged to see leaders speak clearly about the importance of prevention. Vaccination saves lives, and policies that support it make a difference.”
As conversations about public health policy continue, advocates say moments of alignment like this matter.
“It’s a reminder that some issues don’t have to be complicated,” Toft added. “When something is proven, safe, and effective, keeping it in place is a strong and steady choice.”
South Dakotans can help keep the momentum going by contacting their state and federal lawmakers and sharing their support for strong, evidence-based vaccine policies that protect families and communities.
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About South Dakota Families for Vaccines
South Dakota Families for Vaccines is a volunteer-driven, grassroots network of South Dakotans dedicated to advocating for public health rooted in fact-based public policy and promoting immunizations across the lifespan for healthier families and communities. For more information visit www.sdfamiliesforvaccines.org.
If the flu vaccine works, and the vaccine inoculates the recipients, why is it necessary to mandate for those who choose not to receive it? You’re safe. I’m free. We’re both happy.
Unless, it doesn’t work, and you just want to dictate terms and force the rest of us to take the same Pharma risks that you embrace.
If vaccines work, there is never a reason to mandate.
You dont understand herd immunity. You also dont understand the limited freedoms soldiers have by way of their decisions to enlist. You still insist on having a strong opinion anyway. Funny, that.
Operational readiness plus you have military personnel in close quarters whether on a submarine, ship, barracks or in the trenches on the battlefield.
Dear Jon,
Did you receive your Master’s Degree in Public Health at the University of Facebook?
The virus, and consequently the vaccine, varies from year to year. The way the vaccine is made is that strains of virus are collected in China, which is where it always seems to start (pigs and fowl being raised together and sold live in wet markets) and the WHO surveillance teams determine which three or four strains might predominate over the winter months.
One year, in the late 90s as I recall, the shot did not contain the predominant strain, but what we noticed was that people who had been vaccinated missed about three days of work whereas those who had not been vaccinated were much more severely ill and missed as much as two weeks. So the vaccine did not prevent the disease but it lessened the severity. The downside of lessened severity is that sick people don’t realize they are sick until they have had time to spread the virus to others..
Four months after receiving a high dose shot, I spent a whole day babysitting my 13 month old grandson thinking my dry cough was just a flare up of asthma. The next morning I was checking all the boxes for influenza and tested positive for type A. Fortunately my grandson had also been vaccinated and did not fall ill as a result of that exposure. That anecdote illustrates how the vaccine works: because we were both immunized, I fell mildly ill and my grandson didn’t catch it from me.
I would have more sympathy for people like you if you didn’t contradict yourself in all sorts of other policies. If you don’t like government forcing things on you, don’t use government to force things on people; it is that simple. Yet many like you believe that if you believe something enough, it justifies forcing that belief on others. So consider people who are pro-vaccine, like it is their religion, it is totally justified, your happiness is moot, they only get happy when you are unhappy. Just enjoy this game you’ve created, you can’t always be on the winning side, I’m glad you get to see the other side now too.
“The only way to win is not to play”
Pffbtt talk is cheap. This is the kind of stuff you voted for, Senator.
Rounds still in the senate?
Unfortunately
Vaccines should be a personal choice. The flu can kill, but so can the vaccine. I have seen severe vaccine reactions.
What other things should combat troops be allowed to do under the guise of personal choice? Should lower enlisted be able to ignore the commands of an officer to take an objective that might kill them?
Somehow I’m going to decline taking medical advice from a dog Chiropractor.
And I’m going to decline taking medical advice from a career politician.
Good, listen to the scientific consensus, then.
No thanks. Too biased.
Nothing says bias like peer review and reproducible results, lol
Sure you have. Their arms hurt. And years later their hair turned gray, they developed cataracts, gained weight, and their skin wrinkled.
Must have been the vaccines.
y’know it really is alarming what vaccines have done to the population. 100 years ago there just weren’t that many people around with gray hair and wrinkles and now they are everywhere
As the Secretary of War stated, there is no need for Guard and Reserve troops to receive annual flu vaccination.
IF they’re activated for a deployment, they can receive whatever medical precautions are necessary then.
Unless they’re ill with the flu.
MAGAts and MAHAts don’t read or pay attention in school.
The “Spanish” Flu in WW1 (actually probably started in Kansas), one of the deadliest pandemics in history, killing the young and healthy and hurting war efforts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu
Vaccines are national defense.
Beat it, Mengele.
Preventing measles and influenza now = nazi. Words have no meaning.
Sorry, meant as a reply to the genius saying mandated vaccines is equivalent to Mengele.
Forced medical experimentation on an unwitting or unwilling populace. No parallels there.
Vaccines issued to the public writ large are not, by any reasonable definition, “experimentation.” You clearly have zero understanding of the approval process, but have formed a strong opinion anyway. Cool.