The flu epidemic continues in Chile and vaccines are rare

The day before, Undersecretary for Public Health, Paula Daza, had announced a new distribution of vaccines that will last until Friday, after repeated complaints about the lack of sufficient doses at the national level, which even provoked long queues in health facilities.

But Daza said the stockpile of the drug would be replenished for people in the high-risk group, including children under five, adults over 65 and the chronically ill.

The Institute of Public Health (ISP) revealed that in 2018, 283 patients had been reported, but this year there have already been 1,353 cases of influenza, representing an increase of 478% infections.

The president of the faculty of medicine, Izkia Siches, said the situation should have been predicted in advance, and questioned the authorities calling for vaccination, with no certainty about the availability of doses.

The Ministry of Health announced that vaccines had been delivered yesterday in the areas of Coquimbo, Valparaiso, O. Higgins, Maule, Ñuble and Metropolitan, which will be distributed to various health facilities. the regions of the country.

tgj / rc