Pentagon Reinstates Flu Shots After Base Outbreak
The reversal follows a weekslong outbreak that sickened more than 220 trainees and led to at least two hospitalizations, officials said.
- On Wednesday, the U.S. military reinstated mandatory flu vaccinations for new recruits following a sharp spike in influenza cases at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rescinded the flu vaccine mandate in April, describing the requirement as "irrational," causing vaccination rates among trainees to plummet from nearly 100 percent to 40 percent.
- At least 222 recruits have fallen ill and four have been hospitalized during the localized outbreak at the San Antonio base, where trainees live in close quarters.
- Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed Tuesday that the military granted exceptions to Hegseth's voluntary policy, allowing the Army, Navy, and Air Force to resume mandatory immunizations for basic trainees.
- Broader exceptions to Hegseth's voluntary rule may soon be introduced to maintain operational readiness, as the military seeks to protect forces from respiratory viruses that have historically crippled armies.
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Slate.frBy removing the requirement for flu vaccination, the Pentagon thought it was easing a health constraint deemed unnecessary. A few weeks later, an epidemic outbreak occurred at a training base. Source link: https://www.slate.fr/monde/obligation-vaccinale-armee-grippe-epidemie-pentagone-usa-etats-unis-soldats Author: Lola Buscemi Publish date: 2026-06-27 04:55:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked source.
Nearly 300 recruits became flu-infected at the Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made the vaccine optional earlier this year.The Pentagon reversed the decision this week and again demanded flu immunization for all new recruits entering basic training camps.The bill comes after weeks of internal pressure.In Lackland, where most Air Force recruits are trained, only 40% of the staff in training were vaccinated w…
Helena Independent Record
Military requires flu shot for some
The U.S. military resumed requiring flu vaccines for some service members in an exception to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's guidance declaring the shots voluntary two months ago.
Flu cases at Texas base hit 275 as services again require recruits to get shots
The number of flu cases at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas continues to rise in the wake of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s banishment of the influenza vaccine mandate for service members. The Air Force confirmed 275 cases as of Wednesday, up from 160 just last week, a figure Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) said the service…
Pete Hegseth Dragged After His Elimination Of Mandatory Flu Vaccines For Military Has To Be Nearly Immediately Walked Back Due To Outbreak
As of June 22, the Air Force Times reported over 200 members of the United States Air Force at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, had fallen ill after MAGA Republican President Donald Trump's Secretary of Defense, former Fox News weekend host Pete Hegseth, had eliminated the mandatory flu vaccine requirement for service members only two months prior.The New York Times reported Keon McDaniel, a USAF recruit in his sixth week of basic …
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