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Flu outbreak at Lackland AFB infects nearly 160 troops weeks after Pentagon ended mandatory flu shots

A Texas Air Force base is grappling with a rapidly spreading influenza outbreak, infecting nearly 160 service members at Lackland Air Force Base. Multiple reports link the spike to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision less than two months earlier to make the annual flu vaccine optional.

Discovered 2026-06-18T11:49:35.903939-07:00 | 2026-06-18T11:49:35.903939-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • The cluster ties a measurable readiness-and-health impact—nearly 160 confirmed flu cases at Lackland—to a specific Pentagon policy change that ended mandatory annual flu vaccinations.
  • It provides an early real-world outcome signal on how infectious-disease mitigation policy decisions can affect military personnel availability and operational continuity.
  • The reports also add to scrutiny of Hegseth’s approach to personnel policy, following prior coverage of his actions affecting senior Air Force promotions (see Hegseth blocks nine Air Force colonel promotions and delays dozens of senior officer advancements).

Reported By

CBS News news.ssbcrack.com mynorthwest.com The Independent abcnews.com The Hill
Sources Tracked
20
First Seen
2026-06-18T11:49:35.903939-07:00
Latest Update
2026-06-24T18:40:43.611188-07:00
Coverage
Defense

Sources

Hype groups these reports into one evolving story so you can compare coverage without losing the thread.

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