WorldNetDaily writer J.M. Phelps loves to lionize military anti-vaxxers, and he did so again in an Aug. 17 article:
An increasing number of members of the U.S. military services are choosing to take a religious objection to the mandated flu shot. Many also question the likelihood of a flu pandemic at this point in history, while others claim evidence shows the flu shot is not effective.
Recent news stories of a Marine Corps officer, an Air Force major and an Army sergeant continue to document the concerns of countless service members who have taken a moral and religious objection to the mandated flu shot.
WorldNetDaily spoke to Technical Sergeant William “Tony” Oslin, whose religious convictions may cost his service in the military. Having both a father and stepfather who served in the military for 20 years each, Oslin’s desire to join the military was present at an early age.
Phelps’ evidence of the purported ineffectiveness of the flu shot, as detailed in a July article he wrote for the discredited Gateway Pundit, in which he noted that “A Cleveland Clinic study of their 54,402 employees during the 2024-2025 flu season found the flu shot was not effective in preventing the transmission of the respiratory illness.” In fact, that study has been exposed as being methodologically unsound and using overlooked biases like susceptible depletion. Nevertheless, Phelps continued to promote Oslin’s complaining:
In August 2021, his dedication to the Air Force became jeopardized over the then-mandated COVID-19 shot. Interestingly, his Religious Accommodation Request was never adjudicated, allowing him to continue to serve without being separated from the military.
During this time, Oslin’s knowledge of the so-called vaccine increased. He admitted questioning the efficacy and effectiveness of the COVID-19 shot – and other vaccines, including the flu shot. But more than that, he maintained a religious objection to the shots, considering his body “a temple of the Lord.” Even with this sincerely held belief, his request for a religious accommodation with regard to the flu shot was denied.
With that, Oslin said the Air Force began to “build a case that [he] was nondeployable.” Although he still serves in the Air National Guard, his enlistment expires Sept. 3.
“Due to not taking the influenza immunization,” he said, “they have twisted it into my not following direct orders and Air Force regulations.” All the while, he noted, “I have claimed the entire time that the orders [to take the flu shot] are unlawful and discriminatory, therefore I will not … cannot follow unlawful orders.”
It was not explained how it was “unlawful” for the military to require soldiers to be vaccinated. Instead, Phelps let Oslin descend into conspiracy theories:
What’s more, he noted, “This is not about military readiness. Whether people get the flu, with or without a flu shot, they still get the same treatment,” which boils down to rest, symptom management and possible antiviral medication. “It’s not like people who took the shot don’t get the flu. Even the package inserts say the flu shot might prevent the flu; it doesn’t say it will prevent the flu.”
“If the flu shot may or may not protect you from the flu, why is it required, especially when someone takes a legitimate religious objection to it?” Oslin asked. “It’s about generals and the higher ups, to include congressmen, who have invested in the pharmaceutical industry. That’s why they’re pushing shots.”
Phelps did not allow anyone to rebut Oslin’s claims and conspiracies.
Phelps gave Oslin another unchallenged platform in an Oct. 6 article:
As WorldNetDaily recently reported, some members of the U.S. military – even under President Donald Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth – are being ejected from the service for filing religious exemptions from taking vaccines. The main focal point of that report was Technical Sgt. William “Tony” Oslin, who feared that his Christian religious beliefs might jeopardize his military career.
Unfortunately, that reality has come to pass.
WND spoke with Oslin, whose last day in uniform after a two-year battle over the flu vaccine was last Friday, Oct. 3. Even though he feels a great deal of disappointment, Oslin expressed gratitude for the individuals he believes were put in his path by the Lord to assist him and others who have been treated unfairly. For example, he said, at the beginning of September, “when my separation date was approaching, some awesome people got my story to [Under Secretary of the Air Force] Matt Lohmeier’s office and he arranged a 30-day extension while my case was being reviewed.”
As Oslin explained, he submitted a Religious Accommodation Request (RAR) in September 2022 for the COVID-19, influenza, typhoid, anthrax and tetanus vaccines, maintaining his objections to each based on his sincerely held religious beliefs that his body is “a temple of the Lord” and need not be subjected to vaccines, many of which are tested and/or developed with the use of aborted fetal cells.
Phelps offered no documentary evidence to back up that claim. He let Oslin continue to rant:
“It is a person like myself who is seeking a religious exemption that is considered a threat to those others – who are ‘vaccinated and protected’ because vaccination is purported to be the safest and most effective way to avoid influenza – and considered a threat to mission accomplishment,” he said. “Can someone please make this make sense to me? It’s obvious common sense does not apply.”
“If one person that is unvaccinated is considered a non-threat, how is another considered a threat?” he questioned, adding, “This is religious discrimination and it is unconstitutional, [and] there is no other way to explain it.”
“The current administration tells the American public they are for religious freedom and no one should have to choose between their religious beliefs and their livelihood,” Oslin told WND, yet added, “While saying this, the administration is allowing the opposite to happen; they are allowing religious discrimination to happen.”
Phelps did not raise the likelihood that the military rejected Oslin’s demand for an exemption because it did not consider his “religious exemption” to be valid — indeed, declaring one’s body to be a “temple of the Lord” is hardly convincing. And again, Phelps made no effort to offer countering viewpoints.