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Katrine L. Wallace, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Illinois Chicago

The military traded its flu vaccine mandate for ‘medical freedom’ – an outbreak quickly followed

Vaccine Pete Hegseth Influenza ARMY George Washington Navy Covid-19 United States Disease Lackland Air Force Base
A military training base provides a prime environment for the influenza virus to spread. Photographer and Illustrator/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Amid a worsening flu outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, the U.S. Air Force, Army and Navy are once again requiring new recruits to get vaccinated against the influenza virus, according to ABC News. The move comes two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rescinded the U.S. military’s mandate that they do so.

As of June 23, 2026, at least 222 recruits on the base have fallen ill and four have reportedly been hospitalized.

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