Nearly 160 Air Force trainees have fallen ill during a flu outbreak at a Texas military base just weeks after Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth ended the military's long-standing requirement for annual influenza vaccinations. The outbreak has reignited questions about military readiness, public health and the consequences of making routine vaccinations optional in one of the world's largest fighting forces.
The outbreak occurred at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, home to the Air Force's primary basic military training programme. According to defence officials, the virus spread rapidly through a training wing where recruits live in close quarters, sleep in open dormitories and share dining facilities.
