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Nearly 160 sick with flu at US air force base after Hegseth ends mandatory vaccines
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- Over 150 recruits at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, have fallen ill due to an influenza outbreak, occurring weeks after the military ended mandatory flu vaccinations.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ended the universal flu vaccine mandate, emphasizing bodily autonomy and allowing servicemembers to opt out, resulting in only about 40% of recruits getting vaccinated.
- Lackland's communal living conditions, where recruits eat and sleep together, contribute to vulnerability to airborne illness outbreaks.
- The recent death of a basic military trainee, Keon McDaniel, is under investigation and it is unclear if it is related to the flu outbreak.
- In response to the outbreak, Air Force officials have ordered flu vaccinations for recruits as a containment measure, though official comments from the Air Force press office are pending.
