Hegseth reversal: As Air Force flu outbreak continues to surge, military reinstitutes mandatory vaccines for recruits

A flu outbreak at the Air Force’s basic training hub in San Antonio is worsening, according to two sources familiar with the situation.

As of [June 23, 2026], at least 222 recruits at Lackland Air Force Base, part of Joint Base San Antonio, had been diagnosed with the flu and four had been hospitalized, the two people familiar with the matter told ABC News. 

This marks a sharp increase from the 159 cases and two hospitalizations reported last week. The death of one recruit remains under investigation ….

The outbreak is unfolding just two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made the annual flu shot optional for troops, scrapping the military’s requirement for it, which dates to 1945, a move breaking with longstanding public health directives.

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Even so, the services have already been given exceptions to Hegseth’s policy according to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell in a statement provided to ABC News. As part of those exceptions to the policy, the Army, Navy and Air Force are once again requiring flu shots for basic trainees, according to officials.

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