Pentagon restores mandatory flu shots after boot camp outbreak
newsJun 25, 202612143
The Pentagon announced it is reinstating mandatory influenza vaccinations for all military recruits after a flu outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base sickened nearly 300 trainees. The reversal follows an April change by Pete Hegseth that had made the flu shot optional for recruits, a decision he described as "restoring freedom to our Joint Force." Rep. Joaquín Castro publicly released the case figures after the Pentagon and Air Education and Training Command did not provide specific counts. The new mandate requires recruits to be vaccinated before beginning basic training and will force immediate adjustments to inoculation schedules and medical screening at service boot camps, including Lackland.
