Following the sustained rise in influenza cases in the last week, which has already claimed the lives of five people in the Ñuble Region, the president of the Chilean Association of Municipalities (AChM) and mayor of Peñalolén, Carolina Leitaocalled on the community to «don’t let your guard down» and get vaccinated in the different Cesfam that exist in each commune.
«It is very important to call on the community to vaccinate risk groups, not to let their guard down.». Our cesfam, and here as president of the AChM, (I want) to emphasize that all The municipalities have installed in our cesfam the entire system and device to vaccinate to the people,» said the municipal chief.
«These days demand has increased a little because there have been situations, complex cases and deaths in some regions that have raised the alert, but we do not want that to be the alert, We want people responsibly and those who are in the risk group to go to the cesfam and get vaccinated. We have, throughout Chile, the vaccination system is in place so that no one misses their vaccine,» Leitao added.
🔵 The ACHM President @CarolinaLeitaotogether with the regional governor, @Orrego They called on the most vulnerable population to get vaccinated against influenza, due to the emergency that low vaccination is causing. pic.twitter.com/V2JeLjRE59
— AChM Chilean Association of Municipalities (@AChMChile) May 25, 2024
The total universe of the target population to be vaccinated is 9.5 million people, but currently only six million have obtained the antibody against influenza, which is equivalent at 61% coverage of the target groups.
INCREASE IN RESPIRATORY HOSPITALIZATIONS
The latest report of the 2024 winter campaign of the Ministry of Health indicates that hospitalizations due to respiratory causes increased by 15% in the week of May 12 to 18.
Likewise, it indicates that 59% of adult patients in ICU beds (Intensive Care Unit) it is connected to mechanical ventilation; and that the most affected regions are Ñuble, Magallanes and Atacama.
Currently there is a high positivity rate for respiratory diseases. According to the epidemiological report on surveillance of influenza-type disease and other respiratory viruses from the Minsal, This figure rises to 98%.
Following the above, the infectious disease specialist and academic at the University of Santiago (Usach), Ignacio Silvapointed out that «thinking about a simultaneous epidemic («tripledemia»), «What is worrying – in general – in the winter campaign during these months are all the respiratory viruses.»
«It is very likely that, once influenza viral circulation decreases, other viruses increase, which could be the syncytial virus, Sars-Cov-2 or the influenza virus. In general, during the winter campaign it is like this: one predominates over others, but as it goes down, others increase as well,» said the specialist.
For those who wish to get vaccinated this weekend, the Minsal established different vaccination points that will be operating throughout the country.
🏛️During the #HeritageDay Add to your journey a visit to the vaccination point to protect yourself against Influenza and COVID-19.
🏥Check the vaccination points enabled for this weekend in the following graphs. pic.twitter.com/OHkztaP8Os
— Ministry of Health (@ministeriosalud) May 25, 2024