A major influenza outbreak has sickened nearly 160 recruits and service members at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
The outbreak occurs less than two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rescinded the mandatory flu vaccination requirement for the military. Hegseth described the yearly flu shot mandate as absurd when announcing that the Pentagon was canceling the requirement.
The Defense Secretary cited the need for bodily autonomy for servicemembers as the reason for ending the mandatory vaccinations.