– Authorities called on the target population to attend the vaccination clinics and clarified that there is no contraindication that prevents the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time.
The Minister of Health, María Begoña Yarza, together with the Undersecretaries of Public Health, Cristóbal Cuadrado, and of Healthcare Networks, Fernando Araos, participated in the launch of the 2022 National Influenza Vaccination Campaign, at the Juan Pablo Rural Health Post II of the commune of Lampa.
“Being here is paying homage to the country’s rural posts, which are more than a thousand rural posts. The State reaches all the territories of Chile through these rural posts. That is the contact with health in many distant places and being here is also a sign of that and the sign of recognizing the workers of the rural clinics as fundamental elements of public health in the territory. That is doing public health”, explained Minister Yarza.
The authority added that “if Chile can say that we are successful in vaccination, it is because of health teams like the one here in Lampa today. For this reason, we have managed to have the vaccination levels in the pandemic period and now, that we are facing a new winter campaign, the winter plan requires vaccination against influenza and requires that we exceed the 85% coverage figure “
It is a serious and contagious disease, caused by a virus, which is transmitted by coughing, sneezing or nasal secretions. Complications in a case of influenza can lead to pneumonia or severe bronchitis, which can lead to hospitalization or even death
The target groups for the 2022 National Influenza Vaccination Campaign are people aged 65 and over; chronic patients between 11 and up to 64 years; pregnant, at any stage of pregnancy; boys and girls from 6 months to 5th grade; preschool and school education workers up to 5th grade; poultry and pig farm workers; and, health personnel.
This Thursday, March 17, more than 230 thousand people have received the influenza vaccine. Minister Yarza insisted on the importance of going to vaccinations. “The call is that we have to vaccinate those populations at risk because this year we are going to have the circulation, not only of COVID-19 and the omicron variant, but also the circulation of influenza,” she said.
Along with the above, the authority explained that this vaccine can be administered without problems, together with that of COVID-19. “There is no contraindication for the vaccines to be given on the same day, to the same person. The only recommendation is that we do it in the different arms. On the contrary, we believe that this is very favorable to the extent that we use the transfer, we go to a health center and we have the two vaccines, ”he detailed.
The message was reinforced by the Undersecretary of Public Health, Cristóbal Cuadrado, who clarified that “the vaccination plan against SARS-CoV-2 to protect us from the covid-19 disease continues. We know that during this week the people who received their last dose until September 10 are called to receive their fourth dose. We are inviting the entire population that is from target groups for vaccination against influenza and that also requires vaccination against COVID-19, to do so taking advantage of the same visit on the same day.”
The Secretary of State also highlighted the long history that our country has in terms of vaccination and the lessons that the pandemic leaves us in this regard. “Vaccines have been for us as a country, in this experience, super relevant. And this one in particular, which is influenza, in 2020 we had, perhaps, the highest number of vaccinated in history. More than 100% of the target population was vaccinated. The experience of the pandemic can teach us that the vaccine is the great tool. And in this case, in influenza, it’s a story that we’ve had for a long time,” she stated.
The target population of the National Vaccination Campaign against Influenza 2022 is 7,886,031 people and this process will be carried out from March 16 to May 16 and/or until the vaccination goal of 85% is met. Nacional level.
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