Title: Chile Considers Permanent COVID-19 Vaccination as Experts Recommend Integration into National Immunization Program
Five years ago, on December 31, 2019, a resident of Wuhan, China, was hospitalized with symptoms that didn’t match any known disease. This patient would become the first diagnosed with COVID-19, an infectious disease that sparked a global health crisis and was later partially controlled through mass vaccination. Chile was not immune to this global challenge.
On December 24, 2020, at 11:41 AM, Chile administered its first COVID-19 vaccine in Santiago, marking the beginning of a mass immunization campaign that has since provided over 70 million doses, including basic and booster schemes.
Now, with the coronavirus no longer the threat it once was, Chile’s epidemiological situation has evolved, leading to changes in public health strategies. In response, the Ministry of Health (Minsal) requested the Committee of Vaccines and Immunization Strategies (Cavei) to evaluate the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccine in the national immunization program starting from 2025.
After weeks of debate, the expert group recommended incorporating the COVID-19 vaccination into the Decree No. 50/2021, making it mandatory for specific groups to prevent morbidity and mortality, especially in high-risk individuals, and to preserve the integrity and capacity of the healthcare system.
This recommendation suggests that COVID-19 vaccination could become a permanent public health measure in Chile, similar to other vaccinations like influenza or measles, for specific groups.
The Cavei suggested that the same objective groups currently eligible for the vaccine would be the candidates for this strategy. Currently, the vaccine is available for those aged 60 and above, immunocompromised patients, healthcare professionals, individuals with chronic diseases, and pregnant women, provided they have completed one year since their last dose.
The expert group also recommended administering the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines simultaneously in eligible population groups to optimize vaccination opportunities and administrative logistics.
The final decision now lies with the Minsal, which is currently evaluating the Cavei’s recommendation. Meanwhile, the vaccine remains available for eligible groups at public or private vaccination centers in agreement with each regional health service.
According to the ministry’s latest report, 14 people died from the disease last week. Experts have repeatedly emphasized that vaccination has been one of the most effective measures to combat the disease.
A study by researchers from the Center for Mathematical Modeling (CMM) and Dr. Mauricio Canals from the School of Public Health at the University of Chile found that the vaccination campaign in Chile significantly mitigated the disease. The study estimated that during the 2021 and 2022 campaigns, the vaccine prevented 1,030,648 infections, 268,784 hospitalizations, 85,830 ICU admissions, and 75,968 COVID-19-related deaths in individuals aged 16 and above.
