Flu cases at Texas base hit 275 as services again require recruits to get shots

The number of flu cases at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas continues to rise in the wake of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s banishment of the influenza vaccine mandate for service members.

The Air Force confirmed 275 cases as of Wednesday, up from 160 just last week, a figure Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) said the service had relayed to his office. 

In addition, four people have been hospitalized as of Tuesday, ABC News reported. 

One recruit also died June 16, though the death remains under investigation and it is not clear whether it is tied to the outbreak.

The Air Force didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill. 

The influenza outbreak over the past three weeks has slammed the 37th Training Wing at Lackland, part of Joint Base San Antonio, where more than........

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