Pentagon reinstates mandatory flu shots after outbreak at Air Force base

Published June 24, 2026 11:03pm ET



The Pentagon reinstated its flu vaccine requirement for all military recruits on Wednesday after a flu outbreak sickened nearly 300 people at an Air Force base boot camp in Texas, reversing a policy put in place by War Secretary Pete Hegseth just two months ago.

The War Department confirmed to multiple outlets that all military boot camps are once again requiring flu shots for incoming recruits, a decision that comes as an influenza outbreak at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland has grown to about 275 confirmed cases.

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