An influenza outbreak has sickened nearly 160 recruits at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. This follows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's decision to end mandatory flu vaccinations for service members, citing bodily autonomy.
The outbreak highlights potential public health risks and operational readiness concerns arising from the discontinuation of mandatory health measures within the military, particularly in close-quarters training environments.
An influenza outbreak has sickened at least 159 recruits at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. The outbreak follows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's decision in April to end mandatory flu vaccinations for military personnel, which he stated was to uphold "bodily autonomy" and avoid "absurd overreaching mandates that only weaken our war fighting capabilities."
Following Hegseth's directive, approximately 40% of recruits at Lackland chose to get vaccinated against the flu, according to air force officials cited by the New York Times. This contrasts with the approximately 46% of adults vaccinated during the 2025-26 cold season, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Lackland Air Force Base, located within Joint Base San Antonio, houses recruits in communal living and sleeping quarters, environments conducive to the rapid spread of airborne illnesses. The cause of a recent death of a basic military trainee, Keon McDaniel, on June 16, is currently under investigation and its connection to the flu outbreak remains unclear.
In response to the outbreak, air force officials have reportedly ordered flu vaccinations for recruits at Lackland as a containment measure. A Pentagon spokesperson directed inquiries to the air force press office, which did not immediately respond.