Flu cases at Texas Air Force base reach 275 after vaccine mandate ended

The number of flu cases at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas has reached at least 275, according to a social media post by Representative Joaquin Castro. Around 160 cases were recorded at the base the previous week. Four people have been hospitalized amid the outbreak, two sources told ABC News.

The death of one recruit remains under investigation, the sources said, as it is unclear whether it is tied to the outbreak. Air Force officials confirmed that the recruit was named Keon McDaniel and that he was in his sixth week of basic training when he experienced a medical emergency on June 12.

Background on policy change Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ended a flu vaccine mandate that had been in place since 1945. In an April press release, he stated that service members could choose whether to receive the vaccine. One source told The Associated Press that only 40 percent of trainees at Lackland opted for the flu vaccine once it became optional.

Lackland processes around 700 new recruits every week, according to Air Force figures obtained by The AP.

Reinstatement of requirement On Wednesday, a Pentagon official confirmed to The Associated Press that mandatory flu vaccinations for recruits would be reinstated at boot camps. The same official stated that the reinstatement was unrelated to the outbreak.

Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesperson, confirmed to The Associated Press that exceptions allowing the vaccine to remain mandatory were being granted to the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as the National Security Agency and Defense Health Agency.

Dr. Arnold Monto, a flu expert and emeritus professor at the University of Michigan, described the outbreak as not unusually concerning. Michele Slafkosky, executive director of Families Fighting Flu, told The Associated Press that the military had prioritized the health and safety of troops by requiring the vaccine for recruits.