Military services again requiring recruits to get flu shots as Air Force outbreak grows

Key Points:

• A flu outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio has worsened, with at least 222 recruits diagnosed and four hospitalized as of Tuesday, up from 159 cases and two hospitalizations last week; one recruit's death is under investigation but its link to the outbreak is unclear.
• The outbreak follows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's recent decision to make the annual flu vaccine optional for troops, ending a military requirement in place since 1945, though exceptions now require flu shots for basic trainees in the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
• Only about 40% of new Air Force trainees at Joint Base San Antonio had received the flu vaccine when the outbreak began in early June, but the Air Force aims to vaccinate all recruits in the current class and future arrivals.
• The Army plans to expand flu shot requirements to additional groups including deploying troops, first responders, health care workers, and others involved in large-scale training exercises.
• Critics, including Rep. Joaquin Castro, have condemned the end of mandatory vaccination as reckless and a factor contributing to the outbreak, arguing it compromises troop safety and military readiness.