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Air Force unit in Texas faces flu outbreak weeks after vaccine requirement dropped
CBS News • • nation
Key Points:
- Dozens of service members at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, have fallen ill with the flu following the rescinding of the vaccine mandate by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, with only about 40% of trainees opting to receive the flu vaccine since the mandate ended.
- The 37th Training Wing, responsible for basic military training of Air Force recruits, has been managing a localized influenza outbreak over the past three weeks, implementing isolation and antiviral treatments like Tamiflu for symptomatic trainees.
- The Pentagon has allowed exceptions to the vaccine policy for certain departments based on risk assessments to ensure operational readiness and protect at-risk populations, with the Army, Navy, Air Force, NSA, and Defense Health Agency responsible for enforcing these exceptions.
- A trainee, Keon McDaniel, died on June 16 following a medical emergency during basic training, with the cause currently under investigation; this incident occurred amid the ongoing flu outbreak at Lackland.
