Thanks to a great deployment and intense work by officials and primary care centers, the influenza vaccination campaign was successfully carried out in the O’Higgins Region, allowing the target groups to exceed the 85% threshold, which is the goal that was sought to be achieved, and reaching third place at the national level in coverage. Although there are still at-risk populations and communities that are below these figures, the O’Higgins Health Service called on those who have not yet been immunized to go to the vaccination centers.
This was announced by the director of Primary Care of the O’Higgins Health Service, Carolina Silva, who explained that the results obtained are the result of having made “vaccination points available to the community both in health establishments and outside of them. , with deployment strategies to the territories, to reach the largest number of vulnerable populations.”
This is how the 85% threshold has already been exceeded, allowing the region to be in third place nationally in terms of immunization against influenza “which is the result of the effort and commitment of each and every one of the establishments and of the officials of our healthcare network, who were committed to the vaccination campaign and allowed us to achieve these results.”
However, he highlighted that there are still target groups with low percentages “as is the case of those over 60 years of age, who have just made up 67% of the total, despite the repeated calls that have been made to this age group to receive the vaccine.” against influenza.” Added to this is the group of children between 6 months and 5 years of age, “which is why we urge parents to go to the vaccination centers during this winter vacation period, which will continue to operate at their normal schedule, to thus preparing them for the return to school and avoiding complications resulting from the Influenza.”
“We must highlight the work carried out by the hospitals and Cesfam of La Estrella, Pumanque, Litueche, Malloa, Quinta De Tilcoco, Olivar and Marchigüe, which have exceeded 100% vaccination of the target groups,” highlighted Carolina Silva, who added that “Likewise, there are communes that are low in percentages and they are precisely the most urban communes, such as Rancagua, Machalí, Graneros, Rengo and San Fernando”
In the breakdown by communes, there are some that are below 65% in the case of older adults, such as Chimbarongo, Chépica, Rancagua, Rengo, San Fernando, Graneros and Machalí. While, in the case of children, the communes below 75% are Chimbarongo, Palmilla, Codegua, Graneros, Chépica, Rancagua and Machalí.
In the case of inoculation to prevent Respiratory Syncytial Virus, all maternities were incorporated, the immunization strategy with the drug Nirsevimab and currently the coverage in newborns exceeds 99% of the total “however, we still lack children born from on October 1, 2023, so we invite parents to immunize their children as this prevents serious complications from RSV.”
Regarding Neumo 23, which immunizes those over 65 years of age against various types of pneumonia, current coverage is only 29% “this is a vaccine that is administered only once, to those who have turned 65 years old, there are many adults over that age who have not received it, so it is necessary for them to go and get vaccinated and thus avoid respiratory complications that can lead to complex hospitalizations or even death.”
“We are working hard to ensure that each of the users of the O’Higgins network feels protected and supported by a robust health system that will be able to respond to the stress that this winter is putting on us. Our officials are doing their best to care for our population. But for the success of this winter campaign we need to count on the commitment of all our users, to take care of themselves and their loved ones, for which it is necessary to get vaccinated if you are in the target population, use masks when you have respiratory symptoms, wash your hands constantly and constantly ventilate the rooms,” concluded the director of APS, Carolina Silva.
