Military spouse and mom of 5 fights back as vaccine dispute blocks family's permanent change of station

Yahoo

23-05-2025

Amanda Johnson, a Marine spouse and homeschooling mother of five with a set of twins and a newborn is speaking out after months of what she calls stonewalling by the U.S. military medical establishment.
Her family's upcoming move abroad has been put on hold because their children have not received all the recommended vaccinations despite the Navy's policy stating they're not required. The Marine Corps is interdependent with the Navy for logistical support and medical services through Navy Medical, a sister service in the military.
In an Instagram post by Johnson to her nearly 15,000 followers, one popular commentator summarized the family's situation, writing, "The dark irony of military families being stripped of their freedoms in exchange for their father's sacrifice protecting American freedoms… shameful."
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That post has gone viral among military communities, drawing attention from other spouses, advocacy groups and even congressional offices.
"We were told that our children are not suitable solely based on their vaccination status," Johnson told Fox News Digital. "Even after my husband sent a prevention letter explaining our health plan overseas, they still denied us."
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Official Navy policy under BUMEDINST 1300.2B is clear: "Family members are not required to be immunized."
Similarly, TRICARE, healthcare for uniformed service members, explicitly states that "vaccination status is not reviewed as part of the TRICARE overseas enrollment screening process." And the Johnsons' destination, Peru, does not require any vaccinations for entry or residence.
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"We're not breaking any rules. Peru doesn't require vaccines, and Navy policy doesn't either," Johnson said. "We've done everything right, but, still, we're stuck.
"My husband's chain of command supports us and keeps asking, 'Who do we need to call?' But there's no one. No officer has ever called us from Navy Medical. We haven't worked with a single point of contact on our case."
Marine Capt. Hunter Johnson, Amanda's husband, wrote a detailed prevention and medical readiness letter to Navy Medical Jacksonville, outlining the measures his family takes to maintain their children's health.
"Our children have not been, and will not be, enrolled in childcare. My wife is fully devoted to their daily care," he wrote. "We homeschool using Time4Learning and limit exposure to institutional illness risks.
"Peru has no vaccination requirements... My continued presence is essential to our family's stability. This is not a deployment, it's a PCS [permanent change of station]."
Despite that, Amanda Johnson says Navy Medical Jacksonville denied the package and falsely claimed last month it had been sent to Naval Medical Atlantic Region for final review.
The stress has deeply affected their family. Johnson shared that her husband delayed his paternity leave to avoid being recycled through his language course.
"He went back to work five days after I had our fifth baby. Now, during his leave, instead of relaxing, he's chasing paperwork and dealing with this nightmare," she said.
They've already secured housing in Peru and booked an Airbnb near Los Angeles International Airport as they prepare for their flight.
"They told us, 'You can push out your orders,' but that's absolutely not an option. We're not going to be punished because Navy can't get it together," she said.
The family filed a congressional inquiry through the office of Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. Johnson also confirmed that the office of Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, reached out after seeing her story on Instagram.
"My husband had a phone call with them and explained everything. I'm not from Texas, but they saw the post and wanted to help," she said. "It's a big, big mess."
Johnson said she isn't just asking for her own family to be cleared. She wants reform.
"I want whoever denied our package to be held accountable. There should be consequences. The policy is clear, and they're ignoring it," she said. "No doctor in the Navy should be allowed to declare a child unsuitable for travel just because of their vaccine status. That needs to end."
She said she hopes her story sparks wider change.
"Vaccination status is no one's business, especially for dependents. I hope the Navy stops asking altogether unless the host country requires it. We're being punished for nothing."
The Department of the Navy did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.Original article source: Military spouse and mom of 5 fights back as vaccine dispute blocks family's permanent change of station