Santiago de Chile, Jun 13.- Amid an influenza epidemic that has so far killed 20 people in Chile, health authorities are seeking to adopt emergency measures to face the lack of vaccines in the country.
Undersecretary of Public Health Paula Daza reported on Wednesday a redistribution of vaccines that will last until Friday, after people repeated complained to the lack of sufficient dosages in the country, which has even led to long queues in health facilities.
But Daza said that the stockpile of the medicine will be restocked for people belonging to the high-risk group, consisting of children under five, adults over 65 and chronically ill patients.
The Institute of Public Health (ISP) revealed that by 2018, about 283 patients were reported to this date, but about 1,353 cases of influenza were reported this year, representing a 478 percent increase in infections.
The President of the Medical College, Izkia Siches, said that the situation should have been predicted in advance, and questioned the authorities made a call for vaccination, without being aware of the availability of doses.
The Ministry of Health has reported that vaccines were delivered on Wednesday in the regions of Coquimbo, Valparaiso, O'Higgins, Maule, Ñuble and Metropolitana. They will be distributed to the different health facilities and the assignments to the rest of the regions nationwide will be made on Thursday and Friday.