The number of flu cases at an Air Force base in Texas has soared to nearly 300, following Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s axing of a flu vaccine mandate in April.
The Air Force has confirmed that at least 275 flu cases have been recorded at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, according to a social media post by Representative Joaquin Castro. According to him, the outbreak is “getting worse.”
Around 160 cases of flu were recorded at the base just last week, Castro confirmed. As of Tuesday, four people have been hospitalized amid the outbreak, two sources told ABC News.
The death of one recruit remains under investigation, the sources said, as it is unclear whether it is tied to the outbreak. Air Force officials confirmed that the late recruit was named Keon McDaniel and that he was in his sixth week of basic training when he experienced a medical emergency on June 12.
Hegseth axed the vaccine mandate, which dates all the way back to 1945, in April.
“Our new policy is simple: If you, an American warrior entrusted to defend this nation, believe that the flu vaccine is in your best interest, then you are free to take it; you should. But we will not force you,” he said in an April press release.
One source told The Associated Press that only 40 percent of the trainees moving through bootcamp at Lackland opted to have the flu vaccine once it became optional.
However, on Wednesday, a Pentagon official confirmed to the publication that mandatory flu vaccinations for recruits would be reinstated at boot camps. That same official claimed that the mandate was unrelated to the outbreak.
Lackland handles around 700 new recruits every week, according to Air Force figures obtained by The AP. During their training, recruits sleep together in large, open rooms, shower communally and conduct much of their instruction and inspections in close proximity.
Dr Arnold Monto, a flu expert and emeritus professor at the University of Michigan, described the current outbreak as “not unusually concerning” since flu viruses routinely circulate in warmer months.
According to Monto, in order to prevent flu outbreaks, it is “especially necessary to vaccinate when there are group settings.”
Michele Slafkosky, the executive director of Families Fighting Flu, told The AP the military had “prioritized the health and safety of troops and the public” by requiring a flu vaccine for recruits.
“It’s unfortunate that more than 200 individuals at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas became ill when that requirement was rescinded,” Slafkosky continued. “This updated guidance from the military will save lives.”
Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesperson, told The Independent that Hegseth had stated that influenza vaccination was voluntary for active and reserve component service members and Defense Department personnel. Also, Hegseth instructed that all requested exceptions to the policy needed to be consolidated.
“Following a comprehensive review of these requests, and in line with standard Department of War practice for adapting force health protection measures to critical operational realities, the USW(P&R) granted ETPs for the Department of the Army, Department of the Navy, Department of the Air Force, National Security Agency, and Defense Health Agency,” Parnell said.
Parnell added that the decisions were based on “thorough risk assessments” and are designed to “maximize operational readiness, lethality, and force generation, while safeguarding at-risk populations.”
The Independent has contacted the Department of Defense for comment.
