Air Force requires flu shots for recruits after outbreak at Texas base

A flu outbreak at the Air Force basic training facility in San Antonio has grown to at least 222 cases and four hospitalizations as of Tuesday, according to two sources familiar with the situation. The number of cases marks an increase from the 159 cases and two hospitalizations reported the previous week.

One recruit death remains under investigation, though it is not yet known if the death is connected to the outbreak.

Policy change and exceptions In April, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the annual flu shot would be optional for military personnel, ending a requirement that had been in place since 1945. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated that the Army, Navy and Air Force received exceptions to the policy and are again requiring flu shots for basic trainees.

In the Air Force, only about 40 percent of roughly 1,700 new trainees at Joint Base San Antonio had received a flu vaccination last week. The Air Force now plans to vaccinate all recruits in the current class and all future arrivals at the base.

Conditions at basic training Recruits live in close quarters, sharing sleeping bays and shower facilities while spending most of the day in group drills and inspections. These conditions allow illness to spread rapidly once introduced. The Army is preparing to expand the flu shot requirement in coming weeks to troops deploying overseas, first responders, child care workers, health care personnel, prison staff and soldiers in certain large-scale exercises, according to a service spokesperson.

The Air Force did not immediately respond to a request for comment.