More than 220 service members have contracted influenza at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, up from 160 reported earlier last week, in an outbreak that comes less than two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that flu vaccinations would no longer be mandatory for military personnel.
The outbreak has affected the 37th Training Wing at Lackland over the past three weeks. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), whose district includes the base, said on Friday that the Air Force had informed his office that cases had reached 222 as of Thursday. When asked about the latest figures, an Air Force spokesperson declined to disclose how many trainees had contracted the flu, saying only that medical professionals are continuing to "monitor and evaluate the situation."
The outbreak has drawn sharp criticism of Hegseth's April decision to end the mandatory flu vaccine mandate for service members. Hegseth had argued the change gives troops "medical autonomy" and "freedom to express their religious convictions," and characterized the flu shot mandate as "absurd, overreaching mandates that only weaken our warfighting capabilities."
Castro called Hegseth's decision "reckless," saying it was only a matter of time before an outbreak occurred. Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) also called ending the requirement a "mistake." "When I was on active duty and a reservist, I dutifully took my flu shot every year. And as a whole, it made for a healthier" armed forces, Wicker told reporters.
The Air Force has said the 37th Training Wing is in "close" coordination with the 59th Medical Wing — the Air Force's largest medical wing — and has "implemented mitigation measures to isolate and treat symptomatic trainees to reduce further exposure and continue to monitor the situation." Symptomatic trainees are receiving antiviral medications such as Tamiflu and will return to training once cleared by medical professionals.
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