An Air Force spokesperson told ABC News that there has been a "localized influenza outbreak" at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio
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NEED TO KNOW
- There are at least 159 known cases of flu among recruits at Lackland Air Force Base at Joint Base San Antonio in Texas
- The outbreak comes two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lifted mandatory vaccine requirements for military personnel
- In response to the virus, the Air Force has issued an exemption to the regulations at Lackland, requiring all recruits to take the vaccine
Nearly 160 recruits at a U.S. Air Force base in Texas have been affected by a flu outbreak just two months after Pete Hegseth removed the requirement for an annual flu vaccine.
According to ABC News and The New York Times, there were at least 159 known cases and two hospitalizations among recruits at Lackland Air Force Base at Joint Base San Antonio, where recruits sleep on bunk beds and eat together at large communal tables. The true figures may be higher, however.
An Air Force spokesperson told ABC News that there has been a "localized influenza outbreak among trainees at Basic Military Training" for three weeks.
Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty
They added that medical professionals and public health officials have put "mitigation measures" in place to isolate and treat those showing symptoms and monitor trainees who were in close contact with those affected.
The spokesperson told the outlet that trainees with symptoms were being given "the appropriate care," including antiviral medications.
The news of the outbreak comes weeks after Hegseth announced that U.S. military personnel would no longer be required to receive an annual flu vaccine in a message posted on X.
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"Our new policy is simple," he said at the time. "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."
About 40% of Air Force trainees have chosen to get the shot since the new policy took effect on April 21, The New York Times reported.
In a bid to curb the outbreak, the Air Force issued an exemption to the regulations at Lackland. All recruits are now required to take the vaccine, per the newspaper.
A study published by the Defense Health Agency last year found that military personnel under the age of 25 — and young recruits in particular — are more likely to be hospitalized with the flu than older service members.
Meanwhile, the death of a recruit at the base is currently under investigation. Keon McDaniel, who was in his sixth week of basic military training, died at Brooke Army Medical Center on Tuesday, June 16.
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According to an Air Force statement, McDaniel experienced a "medical emergency" on Friday, June 12, and was transported to the center, where he later died. A "comprehensive medical review" is underway, and it's unclear at this stage whether his death is related to the flu outbreak.
PEOPLE reached out to the U.S. Air Force and Lackland Air Force Base at Joint Base San Antonio for updates but did not immediately hear back.
Multiple large-scale studies have found that vaccines are safe. There is no scientific link between vaccines and autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
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