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Nearly 160 Recruits Sickened at Lackland After Pentagon Ends Flu Vaccine Requirement

Pentagon officials granted Lackland a time-limited exception to require flu shots to curb the outbreak that sickened roughly 159 trainees.

Airmen at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas on July 11, 2025.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, shown greeting Army National Guard troops in Washington, announced in April that flu vaccination was no longer mandatory for military personnel.
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Nearly 160 servicemembers at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio are ill amid what U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro described as an outbreak following the end of the military’s flu vaccine mandate. (SBG San Antonio)

Overview

  • The Air Force confirmed a localized influenza outbreak at the 37th Training Wing in late May through mid‑June that has left about 159 to 160 basic trainees sick and several hospitalized.
  • Medical teams at Lackland have isolated symptomatic recruits, monitored contacts, and are treating cases with antivirals such as oseltamivir while trainees return to training only after medical clearance.
  • Following the surge, the Pentagon approved an exception allowing the base to reinstate mandatory flu vaccinations for recruits to try to stop further spread.
  • A trainee, Keon McDaniel, suffered a medical emergency on June 12 and died on June 16; the Air Force is conducting a comprehensive medical review and has not tied the death to the influenza cases.
  • The episode has reignited debate over force health protection after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made the annual flu shot optional in April and critics warn that congregate basic‑training settings raise transmission risk and can affect readiness.