More than 160 troops have contracted influenza at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas over the past few weeks, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to The Hill on Friday. The outbreak comes after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ended mandatory flu vaccines for service members earlier this year.
The 37th Training Wing, which oversees Basic Military Training at the San Antonio base, is coordinating with the 59th Medical Wing—the Air Force's largest medical wing—to manage the situation. More than 36,000 recruits pass through the 37th Training Wing each year. The outbreak was first reported by The New York Times.
"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 in a statement. Symptomatic trainees are receiving antiviral medications such as Tamiflu and will return to training once cleared by medical personnel.
A trainee named Keon McDaniel, who was in his sixth week of basic military training with the 737th Training Support Squadron, experienced a medical emergency and died earlier this week at Brooke Army Medical Center. The cause of death is under investigation, and a comprehensive medical review is underway, according to the Air Force.
What the Right Is Saying
Hegseth announced in April that the Pentagon had ended mandatory flu vaccines for service members, framing the change as giving troops "medical autonomy" and "freedom to express their religious convictions." The Defense secretary stated at the time: "Our new policy is simple. If you, an American warrior entrusted to defend this nation, believe that the flu vaccine is in your best interest, then you're free to take it. You should. But we will not force you. Because your body, your faith are not negotiable."
Hegseth characterized the previous flu shot mandate as "absurd, overreaching mandates that only weaken our warfighting capabilities." He said: "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." Sean Parnell, the Pentagon chief spokesperson, said the decisions were based on thorough risk assessments designed to maximize operational readiness while safeguarding at-risk populations.
What the Left Is Saying
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), whose district includes western San Antonio where Lackland is located, criticized Hegseth's decision to lift the flu vaccine mandate. "After Secretary Hegseth scrapped the military's flu vaccine mandate, it was only a matter of time before an outbreak occurred," Castro said in a statement. "It was a reckless decision that put troops in harm's way and undermined our military readiness."
Castro said he is especially concerned by McDaniel's death and that his office has requested the Pentagon provide a full accounting of the outbreak and investigate the circumstances surrounding the trainee's death. "For the wellbeing of our servicemembers and community, public health policies must be guided by science, not politics," he said.
What the Numbers Show
The flu outbreak has sickened more than 160 troops at Lackland Air Force Base in recent weeks. The base trains more than 36,000 recruits annually through its Basic Military Training program. One trainee death is currently under investigation and subject to a comprehensive medical review. In April, when announcing the policy change, Hegseth said the new rule went further than the Pentagon's previous policy from last year, which had allowed flu shot exemptions for reservists and stated the vaccine was only necessary in some circumstances for armed forces members.
More than 8,000 service members were separated from the military under the previous administration for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. President Trump signed an executive order in January calling for allowing those service members to re-enlist, with the Pentagon offering back pay and reinstatement opportunities.
The Bottom Line
The flu outbreak at Lackland marks a test of the new voluntary vaccination policy that has been controversial even within Republican circles. Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) called ending the mandatory requirement a "mistake" in April, noting the flu vaccine has been shown to be safe. The circumstances surrounding trainee Keon McDaniel's death remain under investigation and could factor into ongoing congressional scrutiny of the policy change.
The Air Force says it is managing the outbreak with standard mitigation protocols including isolation, antiviral treatment, and monitoring of close contacts. Congressional oversight of both the health response and the broader vaccine policy shift is expected to continue as more details emerge about the outbreak's scope and any connection to the mandate change.