Air Force unit faces flu outbreak weeks after vaccine mandate dropped
Summary
Dozens of trainees at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas have gotten the flu after the Defense Department dropped the vaccine mandate. The Air Force is treating sick trainees with medicine and watching others who might have been exposed.Key Facts
- Dozens of basic military trainees at Lackland Air Force Base have flu symptoms.
- The flu outbreak started after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed the vaccine mandate.
- About 40% of trainees chose to get the flu vaccine after the mandate ended.
- The 37th Training Wing trains all new enlisted members of the Air Force, Space Force, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard.
- The Air Force is isolating sick trainees and giving antiviral drugs like Tamiflu.
- The Pentagon allows vaccine exceptions based on risk assessments to keep the military ready and safe.
- A trainee named Keon McDaniel died after a medical emergency, but officials are still investigating the cause.
- The outbreak is being managed in close coordination with medical units at the base.
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