A six-year-old girl died early Tuesday morning in the municipality of San Nicolás, in the Ñuble region, 410 kilometers south of Santiago de Chile, due to complications from influenza type A, a virus that has spread strongly. in the South American country in the middle of a cold and rainy autumn season. The authorities of the Ministry of Health have announced a summary to investigate the events.
The death of the minor was reported this Wednesday by the Ñuble Health Service, which detailed that the patient was treated for the first time at the San Carlos Hospital, where the diagnosis of flu was confirmed. “On these occasions, given her clinical condition, she was instructed to continue the treatment established in her home, and return to the health center if the symptoms worsened,” said the entity in charge of public health in the town. .
The health authority has explained that after being sent home, however, the girl experienced a worsening in her health, so she was sent to the Family Health Center (Cesfam) of San Nicolás, where she was admitted near the midnight on Monday. “Despite the efforts of the medical team and the support provided by an advanced SAMU mobile [el Servicio de Atención Médica de Urgencia, la unidad de ambulancias públicas] “The patient died,” local authorities have declared.
The Ñuble Health Service has detailed that the case will be investigated with an administrative summary, to analyze the actions of the doctors who treated the girl affected with influenza. The investigation will also extend to the municipality in charge of primary care for the deceased minor, San Nicolás.
The Ministry of Health (Minsal) has regretted the death of the girl and has supported the initiation of the summary to find out the details of the clinical procedure. The Undersecretary of Assistance Networks, Osvaldo Salgado, has expressed his concern with the effects of this wave of infections. “It is news that hurts us deeply and we are reviewing the information that has been sent to us. We have requested, by the way, that our team evaluate this situation. “We are worried because the flu is being quite aggressive in some age groups,” said the authority in the middle of the delivery of the public account of the portfolio.
The flu outbreak in Chile
A cold wave and a frontal system loaded with rain has changed the outlook for an autumnal month of May, which has usually been dry and mild. This change in climate has also influenced the gradual increase in respiratory diseases among the population, especially influenza (flu), which is close to reaching the peak in infections.
The latest report from the Institute of Public Health (ISP), the public body in charge of health regulation in Chile, has reported that in epidemiological week 19 – which runs from May 5 to 11 – 1,441 infections were reported. In all the weeks analyzed, there have been a total of 5,992 cases of contagion of the virus, which means an increase of 72% if the 19 weeks counted in 2023 are taken as a reference, according to what was published by the local newspaper Third. The outbreak has reached the Mexican singer Ana Gabriel, who had to cancel a concert in Santiago twice due to an infection that led to serious pneumonia.
The increase in infections has set off the Minsal’s alarms. One of the aspects that most worries government authorities is the low rate of vaccination against influenza, a delay that would even cover the population most vulnerable to the disease (children, pregnant women, the chronically ill and the elderly). The head of the Epidemiology Department of the Minsal, Christian García, detailed the situation this Wednesday. “We already have 58%, practically 60% of coverage, which is quite a lot, but we have some groups that are a little behind, especially people aged 60 and over, who are more or less halfway there,” The official said this in an interview with Radio Guideline.
The flu vaccine is provided free of charge by the State and can be given simultaneously with the covid vaccine. In this case, the target group corresponds to public and private sector health personnel; people aged 60 and over; people with chronic diseases, between 11 and up to 59 years old; pregnant women at any stage of gestation; children from six months to those in 5th grade [educación escolar primaria]; relatives of premature or immunocompromised infants; caregivers of older adults; and workers of poultry and pig farmers.
The rest of the population can access this vaccine, but must purchase it at a pharmacy or at authorized private vaccination centers. The list of public vaccination centers is available on the official website of the Ministry of Health.
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