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Military requiring flu vaccines for recruits as Air Force base deals with outbreak
CBS News • • general
Key Points:
- All branches of the U.S. military have reinstated flu vaccine requirements for recruits as of early June, despite Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's earlier decision to make the flu vaccine voluntary for service members.
- The reinstatement follows a flu outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, where 275 trainees have been infected; mitigation measures and antiviral treatments are being implemented.
- Exemptions to the voluntary flu vaccine policy were granted after a comprehensive review, focusing on vulnerable populations such as those in communal living and healthcare roles to maintain operational readiness.
- The flu vaccine mandate has a long history in the military, first introduced in 1945 and consistently required until recently, with military vaccination programs dating back to the Revolutionary War.
- Pentagon officials emphasize that the exceptions aim to balance force readiness and the health of service members and civilian personnel.
