Pentagon Restores Mandatory Flu Shots for Recruits as Lackland Outbreak Nears 300 Cases
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Jun 24
Pentagon Restores Mandatory Flu Shots for Recruits as Lackland Outbreak Nears 300 Cases
3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Jun 24
Summary
Nearly 300 people have been sickened in a roughly three-week flu outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base, where 275 confirmed cases were cited Wednesday by Rep. Joaquin Castro.
The Pentagon said all military boot camps are again requiring flu shots for recruits after Pete Hegseth made them optional in April; a Pentagon official said the move stemmed from exception requests, not the outbreak.
Only 40% of trainees at Lackland took the vaccine once it became optional, according to a source familiar with the situation, even as the base processes about 700 recruits a week in close-quarter conditions.
Sean Parnell said exceptions were granted to the Army, Navy, Air Force, NSA and Defense Health Agency, while the Army and Navy have also sought broader mandates for deployers, healthcare staff and child care workers.
Flu expert Arnold Monto said summer outbreaks are uncommon but can flare in crowded indoor settings such as military bases, reinforcing the case for vaccination in group environments.