Pentagon restores mandatory flu shots for all recruits amid boot camp outbreak | US military
The Pentagon said training camps for all military services are once again requiring flu shots for all soldiers, after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made the vaccine optional for the military in late April.
The development on Wednesday, confirmed by a Pentagon official to The Associated Press, comes amid a growing weeks-long flu outbreak at the US Air Force’s Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
This outbreak sickened approximately 300 people. But the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not publicly disclosed, suggested that permission to mandate vaccines was unrelated to the pandemic.
When Hegseth first announced the repeal of the flu vaccine mandate in April, he cited “medical autonomy” and religious freedoms, allowing services to seek exceptions or permission to require the vaccine within 15 days of its availability.
The Pentagon official explained that the decision on these exceptions would be finalized in early June and that the timing of the outbreak in Lackland was just a coincidence. Only 40% of new trainees who attended training camp in Lackland opted to get vaccinated after it became optional, a source with knowledge of the situation told the AP.
The base serves about 700 new soldiers each week, according to Air Force figures, and the close quarters environment has long been recognized as conducive to the spread of disease.
Recruits are exposed to conditions of high stress, little sleep and close contact for weeks. They often sleep together in large, open rooms, share showers, and conduct much of their training and supervision in close contact.
The Lackland outbreak, which has now lasted nearly three weeks, has led to 275 confirmed cases of flu, Democratic congressman Joaquin Castro said in a social media post. Castro’s territory includes part of the base where the Air Force boot camp is located.
Arnold Monto, an influenza expert and professor emeritus at the University of Michigan, said the new outbreak is “not unusually concerning.”
If you want to prevent flu outbreaks, “it’s necessary to get vaccinated, especially when there are group settings,” Monto said.
Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s senior spokesman, confirmed in a statement that exceptions were granted to the army, navy and air force, as well as the National Security Agency and the Defense Health Agency, but did not provide further details.
But both army and navy officials also said they wanted permission to make the shot mandatory for certain groups.
Families Fighting Flu, an advocacy organization, welcomed any changes to increase vaccinations.
“For decades, the military has prioritized the health and safety of soldiers and the public by requiring flu vaccinations for soldiers. It is unfortunate that when this requirement was rescinded, more than 200 people became ill at Lackland air force base in Texas.” Michele Slafkosky, the organization’s executive director, said in a statement.
“This updated guidance from the Army will save lives,” he added.
