Nearly 160 Air Force recruits fall ill with flu weeks after Hegseth made vaccine optional

New York Times—A flu outbreak has swept through a Texas Air Force base, infecting nearly 160 troops in the weeks following Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's decision to make flu vaccination optional across the military. Multiple outlets confirmed the timing correlation, with the base hit roughly one month after the mandate was dropped. CBS News reported the Air Force unit faces the outbreak as a direct consequence of the policy change. The Indian Express noted the Pentagon's dropped flu-shot requirement as the key backdrop.

• New York Times — Air base flu outbreak after Hegseth makes vaccine optional
• The Indian Express — Nearly 160 recruits infected in Air Force flu outbreak after Pentagon dropped flu-shot requirement
• The Straits Times — Scores of troops fall ill at US Air Force base after Hegseth makes flu vaccine optio…
• Drudge Report — Scores fall ill at Air Force base after Hegseth makes flu shot optional
• CBS News — Air Force unit hit by flu outbreak after vaccine mandate dropped
• The Independent (UK) — Texas Air Force base flu outbreak hits 160 after Hegseth drops mandate