Chile's national influenza vaccination campaign has reached 62.25% coverage, falling short of the 85% target required for adequate protection, according to reports from latercera.com.
As winter approaches, the number of immunized individuals has risen to 6,246,338, but data reveals a worrying lag among the most vulnerable populations. Children between 6 months and 5 years old show the lowest coverage at 50.31%, followed by adults over 60 at 51.86%.
A lack of confidence appears to be the primary obstacle to completing the vaccination drive. Paula Daza, Executive Director of the Center for Public Policy in Health Innovation at Universidad del Desarrollo, noted that 53% of those who remain unvaccinated do so due to fear of side effects.
“Unfortunately, older adults are the ones at the highest risk of severe illness. When you compare the vaccinated to the unvaccinated, an older person who hasn't been vaccinated is at a much higher risk of hospitalization than a young person,” warned Daza, a former Undersecretary of Public Health.
Risks of Hospitalization and Mortality
The delay in vaccinations is causing alarm among specialists due to the rise in respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia and bronchitis. Elisa Claro, an immunologist at UC-Christus, warned that failing to meet targets could lead to increased healthcare demand and higher mortality rates associated with infections.
Meanwhile, Osvaldo Artaza, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences at Universidad de Las Américas, indicated that the downward trend in coverage in recent years will require greater efforts in communication and public health education.
This technical concern is compounded by the analysis of this year's predominant strain. Artaza noted that the H3N2 sub-variant K has proven to be highly aggressive in the Northern Hemisphere, increasing the risk of fatal outcomes in individuals with metabolic diseases.
From the Chilean Society of Pediatrics (Sochipe), Carmen Gloria Marambio emphasized that low immunization rates reduce community protection. “At a population level, this reduces herd immunity and facilitates sustained transmission, fostering outbreaks that especially affect infants, immunosuppressed individuals, and other high-risk groups,” she explained.
Official statistics from the Ministry of Health show an increase in deaths from influenza and pneumonia, which rose from 23.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2010 to 28.3 in 2024. Notably, 90% of these deaths occurred in people over the age of 60.
In contrast, public health workers lead the way with a 93.32% coverage rate. Geographically, the regions with the highest progress are Maule (68.4%) and O’Higgins (62.91%), while Coquimbo reports the lowest levels at 51.93%.
