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More than 220 troops have contracted influenza at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, up from 160 reported last week in a major outbreak that comes less than two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that flu vaccinations would no longer be mandatory for service members.
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), whose district includes Lackland, on Friday said the Air Force informed his office that the number of cases had hit 222 as of Thursday, 62 more than had been reported earlier in the week.
The influenza outbreak has affected the 37th Training Wing at Lackland over the past three weeks. Each year, more than 36,000 recruits come through the unit.
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Asked by The Hill about the most recent numbers, an Air Force spokesperson declined to comment on how many trainees contracted the flu, saying only that medical professionals “continue to monitor and evaluate the situation.”
The Air Force told The Hill last week that 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 “appropriate care with antiviral medications such as Tamiflu,” and they will return to training once medical professionals clear them, the spokesperson said.
Hegseth in April announced the Pentagon ended mandatory flu vaccines for service members, arguing the changes are giving troops “medical autonomy” and “freedom to express their religious convictions.”
The new rule is a step further than the Pentagon’s policy from last year, which exempted reservists from the flu shot and said the vaccine was only necessary in some circumstances for all members of the armed forces.
Hegseth characterized the flu shot mandate as “absurd, overreaching mandates that only weaken our warfighting capabilities.”
“Our men and women in uniform were forced to choose between their conscience and their country, even when those decisions posed no threat to our military readiness,” the Pentagon said.
Castro has called Hegseth’s decision “reckless,” saying it was only a matter of time before an outbreak occurred.
And Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), 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, he told reporters.
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