An influenza outbreak has reportedly sickened more than 150 recruits in training at Lackland air force base in San Antonio, Texas.
The outbreak comes just weeks after the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, ended mandatory flu vaccination for the military, citing the need for bodily autonomy for servicemembers.
“We’re seizing this moment to discard any absurd overreaching mandates that only weaken our war fighting capabilities,” said Hegseth in an April social media video. “In this case that includes the universal flu vaccine and the mandate behind it.
“Your body, your faith and your convictions are not negotiable,” said Hegseth.
At least 159 recruits have fallen ill, according to the New York Times and ABC News. After Hegseth made influenza shots optional, only about 40% of recruits opted to get vaccinated, air force officials told the New York Times.
Health Glance
On Wednesday, the New York Knicks overcame a 29-point deficit to defeat the San Antonio Spurs in the last seconds of the game, the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history.
A provision in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act blocked Planned Parenthood’s health centers from billing Medicaid for the other services they provide, like contraception and cancer screenings. Medicaid is their primary source of funding, and the legislation meant they lost out on more than $700 million annually.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the presence of New World screwworm in a 3-week-old calf in Texas on June 3, marking the first known U.S. case in decades and the closest the parasite has come to reestablishing itself north of the Mexico border since its eradication in the 1960s.
A smart drug that stops cancer cells “hiding” from treatment can shrink tumours by at least 30% in six of the world’s most common forms of the disease, early trial results show.





























