The Pentagon announced on Wednesday that it is reinstating the mandatory flu vaccination for all military recruits. This decision comes after a recent outbreak at the U.S. Air Force’s boot camp at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, which has sickened nearly 300 people.
Background
In April, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made the flu vaccine optional for the military, citing ‘medical autonomy’ and religious freedom. However, the services were allowed to ask for exceptions to this policy. The Pentagon official maintained that the decision to reinstate the mandate was unrelated to the outbreak.
Only 40% of new trainees at Lackland opted to receive the flu shot after it became optional. The base handles roughly 700 new recruits every week, and the close quarters environment has long been recognized as being conducive to the spread of disease.
Dr. Arnold Monto, a flu expert and emeritus professor at the University of Michigan, stated that concentrated flu outbreaks can occur in the spring and summer, particularly in settings where many people are gathered together indoors, such as military bases.
Families Fighting Flu, an advocacy organization, welcomed the decision to reinstate the flu vaccine mandate, stating that it will save lives.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
