A worsening flu outbreak among recruits attending basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, began earlier this month while an Air Force request to reinstate a mandatory flu shot requirement was being processed.

Background

The outbreak has sickened at least 275 recruits since it began, according to Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas, whose district includes Lackland. The Air Force confirmed that a recruit there died in a military hospital on June 16 after experiencing a medical emergency a few days before, but it’s unclear whether his death is linked to the flu outbreak.

Around 60% of previously unvaccinated trainees at Lackland initially declined the flu shot during the vaccine requirement’s lapse, which was put into effect after an April order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth instructing Pentagon leadership to eliminate the flu shot requirement.

The vaccine mandate for Air Force recruits was restored on June 11, and within weeks, unvaccinated trainees at Lackland received the flu shot, according to a defense official and source. However, by that point, the outbreak at Lackland had already gained steam.

Response

Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s top spokesperson, said in a statement that the Defense Department had granted exceptions enabling mandatory vaccines for specific populations across the military. The decisions were based upon thorough risk assessments and are designed to maximize operational readiness, lethality, and force generation, while safeguarding at-risk populations.

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.