Lackland Air Force Base in Texas is reportedly facing a serious flu outbreak, with over 150 recruits said to have fallen sick.
The Lackland base (which is part of the larger Joint Base San Antonio, aka “Military City”) is used as a basic training facility and is currently the only site used to train would-be members of the US Space Force.
Now, as per ABC News, there are at least 159 confirmed flu cases among recruits, with two cases so serious they’ve required hospitalization. The source also explained that the true number of cases and hospitalizations may be higher.
An Air Force spokesperson confirmed the outbreak and admitted that for the last three weeks there’s been “a localized influenza outbreak among trainees at Basic Military Training.” The statement continued:
“Medical professionals and Public Health officials have implemented mitigation measures to isolate and treat symptomatic trainees to reduce further exposure and continue to monitor the situation. Medical personnel are also monitoring trainees who were in close contact with sick members in case they become symptomatic.”
“Absurd overreaching mandates”
Up until just a few weeks ago, those in the military had to receive a mandatory flu vaccine. Now, thanks to the efforts of Pete Hegseth, that requirement has been done away with. Speaking in April, he celebrated his decision, saying:
The War Department is once again restoring freedom to our Joint Force.
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) April 21, 2026
We are discarding the mandatory flu vaccine requirement, effective immediately. pic.twitter.com/9K5W8g0NsD
“We’re seizing this moment to discard any absurd overreaching mandates that only weaken our war fighting capabilities. … In this case that includes the universal flu vaccine and the mandate behind it. Your body, your faith and your convictions are not negotiable.”
The New York Times reports Air Force officials as saying that after Hegseth removed the mandatory requirement, only 40% of recruits chose to get vaccinated.
The flu vaccine has been mandatory for those in the military since 1950 (and vaccination programs began in 1945), with the programs considered critical due to memories of the 1918-1920 flu epidemic, which seriously impacted the American military’s effectiveness.
During that outbreak, it’s estimated that more than 26,000 US soldiers died, with the contagious disease spreading rapidly through shared barracks and cramped living quarters.
Lackland base reportedly shares these same qualities, with The Guardian reporting that recruits live in close proximity to each other in communal settings, eat together, and sleep in large dormitories.
In addition, on June 16, basic military trainee Keon McDaniel died after experiencing what’s been publicly described as a “medical emergency”. An investigation into his cause of death is underway, though Texas congressman Joaquin Castro has suggested it’s linked to the flu outbreak:
After Secretary Hegseth scrapped the military’s flu vaccine mandate, it was only a matter of time before an outbreak occurred. It was a reckless decision that put troops in harm’s way and undermined our military readiness. At the Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, nearly 160… https://t.co/yvMGxcMwBr
— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) June 19, 2026
“After Secretary Hegseth scrapped the military’s flu vaccine mandate, it was only a matter of time before an outbreak occurred. It was a reckless decision that put troops in harm’s way and undermined our military readiness. At the Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, nearly 160 servicemembers are now ill.
I am especially concerned by the tragic death of a trainee this past week. My office has requested the Department of Defense provide a full accounting of the outbreak and investigate the circumstances of the trainee’s death. For the wellbeing of our servicemembers and community, public health policies must be guided by science, not politics.”
More on this story as it develops.
