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Pentagon Restores Mandatory Flu Shots for Military Recruits
The Defense Department reinstated required flu vaccinations for new recruits after an outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base sickened nearly 300 people. The reversal ends a policy that had made the shots optional for the first time in 70 years.
Los Angeles TimesAudio version
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The Pentagon reinstated mandatory flu vaccinations for recruits across all military branches after an outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base sickened nearly 300 people. The change reverses an April policy that made the annual flu shot optional for the first time in 70 years.
The outbreak at the Air Force boot camp in San Antonio has produced 275 confirmed cases over three weeks, with four recruits hospitalized. One recruit died in a military hospital on June 16, though officials have not confirmed whether the death was linked to the flu.
Democratic Rep. " The base processes roughly 700 new recruits each week in close-quarters conditions that facilitate disease spread.
The Army, Navy, Air Force, National Security Agency and Defense Health Agency all sought permission to keep the requirement for recruits and certain other groups. Undersecretary Anthony Tata approved the request on June 11, though base officials did not receive confirmation until June 18.
Only 40 percent of incoming Air Force trainees had opted for the shot once it became voluntary. Vaccination rates among new trainees dropped sharply after the change. Families Fighting Flu welcomed the reinstatement. Executive director Michele Slafkosky said the updated guidance "will save lives" after more than 200 people became ill when the requirement was removed.
Flu expert Dr. Arnold Monto noted that concentrated outbreaks can occur in group settings year-round and that vaccination is especially important in such environments.
