Flu cases rise to 222 at Texas base in outbreak blamed on Hegseth scrapping of vaccine mandate
Officials are isolating symptomatic trainees and monitoring close contacts as the outbreak follows a Pentagon rule making flu shots optional.
- Rep. Joaquin Castro reported 222 influenza cases within the 37th Training Wing at Lackland Air Force Base as of Thursday, marking a sharp increase from nearly 160 cases reported earlier in the week.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ended the military's mandatory flu vaccine policy in April, arguing the change grants troops "medical autonomy" and "freedom to express their religious convictions." The policy shift preceded the outbreak by two months.
- The 37th Training Wing is coordinating with the 59th Medical Wing to treat symptomatic trainees with Tamiflu. Military recruits are historically vulnerable to respiratory illness due to physical and psychological stress, according to an October 2025 Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division report.
- Following the June 16 death of trainee Keon McDaniel, Congressman Joaquin Castro requested a full Department of Defense accounting and investigation into the circumstances. Officials are investigating the cause, though the Air Force has not confirmed a connection to the outbreak.
- Critics including Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker labeled ending the vaccine mandate a "mistake," while Castro called it "reckless." The Pentagon maintained service members were forced to choose between conscience and country, setting up ongoing debate over military readiness.
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Flu cases rise to 222 at Texas base in outbreak blamed on Hegseth scrapping of vaccine mandate
More than 220 troops have contracted influenza at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, up from 160 reported last week in a major outbreak that comes less than two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that flu vaccinations would no longer be mandatory for service members. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), whose district includes Lackland, on Friday…
Military Times
Air Force TimesFlu outbreak sickens 200 trainees at Lackland Air Force Base
More than 200 service members at a Texas base have contracted the flu following a new Pentagon policy that allows flu vaccinations to be optional.Over the past three weeks, the training wing at Lackland Air Force Base has suffered from a localized influenza outbreak among trainees at Basic Military Training, an Air Force spokesperson told Military Times.“Medical professionals and Public Health officials have implemented mitigation measures to is…
Air Force confirms flu outbreak among trainees at Lackland
An Air Force spokesperson said the 37th Training Wing and 59th Medical Wing are working together to contain the outbreak. Air Force confirms flu outbreak among trainees at Lackland was first posted on June 22, 2026 at 11:54 am.©2021 "San Antonio Report". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at
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