Health Care — Texas base hit with flu outbreak after Hegseth lifts vaccine order

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View Online Health Care Health Care   PRESENTED BY  The Big Story  Air Force base hit with flu outbreak sickening over 160  More than 160 troops have contracted influenza at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas in the past few weeks following Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision earlier this year to end mandatory flu vaccines for service members, a source familiar with the matter told The Hill on Friday. © Eric Gay, The Associated Press The Air Force told The Hill that the 37th Training Wing, which is at Lackland in San Antonio, is in “close” coordination with the 59th Medical Wing, the Air Force’s largest medical wing and is “managing a localized influenza outbreak among trainees at Basic Military Training.”    “Medical professionals and Public Health officials have implemented mitigation measures to isolate and treat symptomatic trainees to reduce further exposure and continue to monitor the situation,” an Air Force spokesperson said in a statement. “Medical personnel are also monitoring trainees who were in close contact with sick members in case they become symptomatic.” Symptomatic trainees are receiving “appropriate care with antiviral medications such as Tamiflu,” and they will return to training once medical professionals clear them, the spokesperson said.  Each year, more than 36,000 recruits come through the 37th Training Wing.     Keon McDaniel, who was in his sixth week of basic military training from the 737th Training Support Squadron, experienced a medical emergency and died earlier this week at the Brooke Army Medical Center, the Air Force said.  The cause of the medical emergency is under investigation, and a “comprehensive” medical review is underway, according to the Air Force.    Read more from The Hill's Filip Timotija here. Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, I'm Elliott Davis, filling in for Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. The Hill Insider is coming A new all-access digital subscription from The Hill — launching July 2026. Join the waitlist to be among the first inside Join the waitlist Essential Reads  How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: Senate Dems launch investigation into RFK Jr. vaccine panel changes Senate Democrats are launching an investigation into Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s changes to vaccine policy, including the remaking of a federal vaccine advisory panel ...  Full Story FDA panel recommends mRNA flu vaccine for older adults A first-of-its-kind flu shot is one step closer to being available to the public after a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel voted Thursday to recommend Moderna’s mRNA-based vaccine for approval.  The FDA’s independent vaccine advisors voted unanimously 9-0 that the benefits outweigh the risks for Moderna’s mFlusiva shot in people ages 50 to 64 as well as 65 and older.  Moderna is …  Full Story Ebola outbreak zone cases up almost 40 percent in a week The Ebola outbreak in Congo that’s spread across parts of Africa has killed more than 200 people in its first month and is considered the worst known outbreak at this stage, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said Thursday. Ebola cases have surged 38 percent since last week, spreading across 32 health zones in eastern Congo. Health officials at Africa CDC said the current outbreak, with 894 confirmed …  Full Story CONTENT FROM OUR SPONSOR Invested in Responsibility Our approach to helping prevent underage access to nicotine products: Responsible marketing. Responsible retail safeguards. Real-world monitoring. Learn more about our 10-point approach to underage access prevention at USPMI.com In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Senate Republicans in somber, pessimistic mood over Trump deal with Iran President Trump’s deal to lift sanctions on Iran and give it access to a $300 billion reconstruction fund has cast a glum mood over the Senate Republican Conference, with GOP senators saying that many of their colleagues are in “dismay” and “somber” over the cost of the agreement. Full Story Around the Nation  Local and state headlines on health care: Tennessee pharmacies sell potent ivermectin, led by anti-vaccine doctor who’s taken ‘bucketloads’ (KFF Health News) This stunning cost crisis is driving N.J. public workers to the breaking point. What lawmakers are promising. (NJ.com) Vermont Gov. Phil Scott vetoes ‘soft opening’ for hospital pricing reforms (Valley News) What We’re Reading  Health news we’ve flagged from other outlets: What to know about alpha-gal syndrome, the life-threatening meat allergy caused by tick bites (The Associated Press) Many World Cup fans would father skip the hydration breaks (The New York Times) UnitedHealth’s $3 billion AI push has bots calling doctors (Bloomberg) What People Think  Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: We finally know why oldest children do so much better than their younger siblings The FDA’s data on mifepristone can’t be trusted — here’s why   You’re all caught up. 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