US Military Rushes Flu Shots Before June 30 Expiry as Lackland Outbreak Sickens 275
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 29
US Military Rushes Flu Shots Before June 30 Expiry as Lackland Outbreak Sickens 275
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 29
Summary
June 30 is the cutoff for current flu vaccine stocks, pushing the US military to vaccinate basic-training recruits immediately after restoring the requirement earlier this week.
275 people have been sickened and four hospitalized in the Lackland Air Force Base outbreak, where about 700 new recruits arrive each week and one recruit's death remains under investigation.
August or later is the earliest new doses are expected, leaving officials to rely on smaller cohorting, hand hygiene and possibly masks once the current shots expire.
40% vaccination rates after the mandate was lifted in April left recruits more exposed in crowded boot-camp conditions that experts say are especially prone to fast-moving outbreaks.
1945 was the year the military first adopted the flu-shot mandate, and experts say the latest scramble shows how seasonal vaccine production still limits outbreak response.