US military races to vaccinate new recruits before flu shots expire
Summary
The US military paused mandatory flu vaccinations for new recruits for two months but resumed them after a flu outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. The current flu vaccines will expire soon, and new doses won’t arrive until August or later, so the military must use other methods to control the outbreak.Key Facts
- The military stopped requiring flu shots for new recruits for two months but restarted the mandate recently.
- Current flu vaccines at training camps expire on June 30, with new supplies expected no earlier than late August.
- Lackland Air Force Base experienced a flu outbreak with at least 275 sick people and 4 hospitalized.
- One recruit died after a medical emergency during the outbreak, but the cause is still under investigation.
- Flu vaccination rates dropped to 40% after the mandate was lifted, similar to general public levels.
- The military is also planning flu vaccine mandates for overseas troops and other groups like healthcare and childcare workers.
- Basic training is a high-risk environment for flu outbreaks due to close living conditions and high stress on recruits.
- The military may not extend the use of expired vaccines, so they must rely on other disease control measures until new vaccines arrive.
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