JBSA-Lackland Flu Cases Climb to 275 as Military Restores Trainee Vaccinations

Q: Did a trainee's death at Lackland result from the Pentagon's controversial new vaccine policy?

No. There is no confirmed evidence that the trainee’s death was caused by the Pentagon’s new flu-vaccine policy. What is established is that Lackland Air Force Base has had a significant flu outbreak, with 222 cases reported in the training wing and several hospitalizations. The outbreak came after the Pentagon made annual flu shots optional for service members, a change that sharply reduced vaccination rates among recruits from nearly universal coverage to about 40% before exemptions were later granted for trainees. But in the specific case of trainee Keon McDaniel, the Air Force has said only that he died after a medical emergency and that the circumstances are under investigation. Officials have not confirmed any link between his death and influenza, and an Air Force spokesperson declined to say whether the death was related to the outbreak. So the policy change may have contributed to conditions that allowed the outbreak to spread more easily, especially in a basic-training environment where recruits are known to be highly vulnerable to respiratory illness. However, based on the information currently available, it is not possible to say that McDaniel’s death resulted from the vaccine policy. That remains unproven pending the investigation and medical findings.

3 articles · Updated · KSAT San Antonio · Jun 24

275 influenza cases have now been confirmed among basic trainees at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, up from more than 150 last week and nearly 73% higher, according to Rep. Joaquin Castro.
The surge followed an April Pentagon policy by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that made flu shots optional for U.S. military personnel after they had previously been mandatory.
The Army, Navy and Air Force have since received exceptions and are again requiring flu vaccinations for basic trainees, Pentagon and service officials said.
The 37th Training Wing and 59th Medical Wing have been managing what the Air Force called a localized outbreak for three weeks, underscoring readiness concerns at one of the military's main training sites.