- A flu outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio has reportedly sickened nearly 160 troops, prompting the Air Force to temporarily reinstate mandatory flu shots for recruits there.
- This outbreak occurs less than two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the Pentagon was canceling the military's requirement for yearly flu vaccinations.
- Hegseth had previously criticized the mandatory flu and COVID shots as "absurd, overreaching mandates" that he believed weakened military capabilities.
- A basic military trainee, Keon McDaniel, died earlier in the week after experiencing a "medical emergency" at the base, though the cause is under investigation and it is unclear if it was flu-related.
- Despite the outbreak, the Pentagon defended its new policy, stating decisions were based on thorough risk assessments, while the administration has elevated vaccine skeptics to top positions.
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