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.

Outbreak Details

The outbreak has sickened at least 275 recruits since it began, according to Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas. The Air Force confirmed that a recruit died in a military hospital on June 16 after experiencing a medical emergency, 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, according to a defense official. The option to decline the vaccine was opened to recruits after an April order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth instructing Pentagon leadership to eliminate the flu shot requirement.

Response to Outbreak

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 the defense official. However, by that point, the outbreak at Lackland had already gained steam.

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: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.