Chile has already vaccinated five million people against COVID-19

The second objective is to vaccinate 15 of the country's 19 million inhabitants with two doses during the first semester.

Chile is the country in the region that is advancing the fastest in vaccinating the population.

This Tuesday it was learned thatThe country has already exceeded five million vaccinated - part of the highest risk group - against the coronavirus, with at least one dose, two weeks before the deadline set by President Sebastián Piñera's government.

In this country of 19 million inhabitants, the vaccination process began with health personnel on December 24 and continued with the highest-risk population groups - chronically ill people and older adults - starting on February 3. The official goal was to reach five million with at least one dose on March 30.

So far, two vaccines have been administered in Chile: the one from the American laboratory Pfizer and the Coronavac, from the Chinese company Sinovac.

Health authorities indicated that so far they had managed to vaccinate 5,011,517 people with at least one dose, thanks to a large deployment throughout the country, with almost 15,000 vaccination points managed mainly by municipalities and health care centers. primary.

“This achievement is merit and belongs to all Chileans,” said President Piñera, in a ceremony at the presidential palace of La Moneda, where the fulfillment of the first vaccination goal was announced.

The second objective is to vaccinate 15 of the country's 19 million inhabitants with two doses during the first semester, at a rate of more than 150,000 average daily immunizations.This Tuesday, 2,139,079 people were already vaccinated against covid with both doses, according to the report from the Ministry of Health.

The Piñera government began efforts in May of last year to close vaccine purchase agreements. The president indicated that Chile has secured 35 million doses from various laboratories to date.

To date, all health personnel are vaccinated and many teachers have at least one dose.after the start of the southern school year this March.

“Ensuring vaccines for all Chileans has been an extraordinarily difficult task and full of obstacles, but we have accomplished it,” added Piñera.

However, the first goal is met when the country faces an increase in daily coronavirus infections, with more than 5,000 new cases reported and a worrying rise in the occupancy rates of Intensive Care Units.

COVID-19 has infected more than 900,000 people in Chile and claimed some 21,700 lives.