200+ flu cases force Air Force to resume vaccines after Hegseth ended requirement: Report

WASHINGTON, DC: The Air Force sought an exemption to resume flu vaccinations at a Texas training base after an outbreak reportedly sickened more than 200 troops and trainees.

The move came less than two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ended the military's annual flu vaccine requirement. It also raised immediate concerns at a base responsible for training new Air Force recruits.

Air Force reverses course at Texas base

Airmen and trainees fell ill during a flu outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, according to an Air Force spokesperson. A source at the base told reporters the number of sickened troops could exceed 200, as per NBC News.

Lackland serves as the Air Force's basic military training center and processes tens of thousands of recruits each year.

NBC News reported that, according to a person familiar with the response, the Air Force requested an exemption to Hegseth's policy so officials could once again require flu vaccinations at the base. The base has since begun vaccinating personnel.

The outbreak was first reported by the New York Times.

Hegseth called the flu mandate absurd

Hegseth announced the policy change in April, describing the vaccine requirement as "absurd" and "overreaching."

"Under the disastrous Biden administration, this Pentagon waged an unrelenting war on our warriors on many fronts, including when it came to denying them simple medical autonomy and the freedom to express their religious convictions," Hegseth said at the time.

Following the outbreak, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth had granted exceptions to the vaccine policy for military departments facing "critical operational realities."

"The Secretary of War recently issued updated guidance on the influenza vaccination, stating that this vaccination is voluntary for all Active and Reserve Component Service members and Department of War civilian personnel, and directing the Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness to consolidate all requested exceptions to the policy," Parnell said.

Air Force isolates trainees during outbreak

The Air Force described the outbreak as limited to the base's basic training wing.

"Medical professionals and public health officials have implemented mitigation measures to isolate and treat symptomatic trainees to reduce further exposure and continue to monitor the situation," an Air Force spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that officials were tracking trainees who had close contact with sick personnel and watching for additional symptoms.

"Medical personnel are also monitoring trainees who were in close contact with sick members in case they become symptomatic. Symptomatic trainees are receiving the appropriate care with antiviral medications such as Tamiflu," the spokesperson said.

Parnell also defended the department's overall approach, saying, "The Department remains committed to the health and readiness of our warfighters and civilian personnel."