The Pentagon reinstated mandatory flu shots for military recruits in basic training after a flu outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base infected nearly 300 people — a targeted move that differs from a complete reversal of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's earlier policy. In late April, Hegseth made annual flu vaccines optional for all service members. The new action restores the requirement specifically for recruits at boot camps, balancing outbreak response against the broader optional policy that remains in place for the wider military. The Air Force formally requested the requirement be restored for basic training populations, where close quarters create heightened infection risk.