Health Minister: “We hope that our culture of wearing masks continues, and that people wear them during large events or when they have symptoms.”

Decreased wait times, progress on the Building Mental Health plan, and the Health Care Reform. These are the major challenges that Health Minister Ximena Aguilera has identified for this year. She is also working on the coronavirus vaccination campaign.

The bivalent vaccine is one of her main focus areas, along with strengthening communication regarding the importance of being inoculated in order to reduce the risk of becoming seriously ill.

The minister insists that the pandemic is not over, and that prevention continues to be key to stopping the spread of coronavirus.

- Where do things currently stand with the pandemic in epidemiological terms?

- We are in an Opening phase. We have nearly 2,500 new cases and a positivity rate of around 12%. A high percentage of our population has been vaccinated. Over 88% of Chileans have received their fourth dose, which is very good. However, we are reinforcing inoculation with the bivalent vaccine, and those numbers are still low. To date, 18.62% of those in their 50s and 60s have been vaccinated. A total of 1,548,772 bivalent vaccines have been administered.

- What risk does the appearance of new variants of the virus in China pose to our country?

- It poses the same risk as it does to the rest of the world. We must remember that we are living through a pandemic, and the appearance of new variants always poses a risk because we don't know how they will behave. But we are constantly monitoring the epidemiological situation so that we can take the necessary steps to protect the public. This is why it is important for people to be inoculated: the vaccine reduces the risk of becoming seriously ill or dying.

- Is there any possibility that we will return to more restrictive levels of COVID regulations?

- There is always a possibility that we will return to more restrictive levels. That is part of the plan. We have not declared the pandemic over. If a more aggressive variant that leads to more hospitalizations appears, we will of course take a step back. There is nothing to suggest that that will happen now, but we must continue to protect ourselves and vaccinate those who have yet to receive the vaccine.

- Is Chile still receiving shipments of vaccines?

- Chile continues to buy vaccines, just as it has since the beginning of the pandemic.

- Why was the decision to offer the bivalent vaccine to other groups made?

- We have stated that the pandemic is not over and that it continues to evolve many times, and we have made it clear that our strategies evolve based on the epidemiological situation that we are experiencing. We have been using the bivalent vaccine since last October, and we have very low levels of coverage. That is why we are increasing our efforts to expand that coverage. We have been vaccinating people over the age of 50 in addition to those over 60 since January 16. We have added health care staff, people with chronic diseases, and individuals who are overweight or obese to those with a severe disability (registered in the National Disability Registry), caretakers of dependent patients (under the Preferential Law), the populations of National Children’s Service facilities, officials who perform critical government duties, and essential personnel who provide public services and play essential roles. We also have added public safety personnel, preschool teachers and daycare providers, teachers and administrators at the preschool, elementary and secondary school levels, prison guards and detained persons, and transportation company staff.

- How has the population reacted to this call to get vaccinated?

- Eight percent of those eligible received the vaccine in the first week of the program's implementation. By expanding the groups eligible for vaccination, we put ourselves in a tougher situation. Today we have to cover individuals between the ages of 50 and 60, as they were not previously eligible. We also have to consider that there is less pressure and a lower risk of death precisely because of the vaccination rate. It is difficult for the public to remain in a state of alert. This is true in Chile and elsewhere, and it has led us to take a critical look and try to improve our messaging and campaigns. We also have relaunch some programs so that no one thinks that we are ending something that hasn’t ended, that is ongoing. It is a very challenging situation.

- It is important to remember that vaccine clinics are still operating and that new facilities have opened...

- Yes, of course, that’s important. We have over 140 vaccination locations in the Metropolitan Region alone. A list of every vaccination site in the country is available at www.minsal.cl.

- What message would you send to people? Do you recommend that they continue to mask?

- It is very important to continue to protect ourselves. The pandemic is not over. We have to learn to live with this virus, which is why it is so important to be vaccinated. We have never eliminated masks. We have said that they are voluntary. The health care sector is not asking for them to be mandatory, but we recommend using them when there is a higher risk. We hope that our culture of wearing masks continues, and that people wear them during large events or when they have symptoms, as people in Asian countries have done for some time. Masks are only mandatory in health care settings.

- What restrictions are currently in place for those arriving from abroad?

- As part of the Protected Borders Plan, random testing of travelers -both Chilean residents and foreign nationals- has increased. All travelers from China are required to take a PCR and to isolate for five days in a sanitary residence if they test positive. The goal of all of this is to be able to better observe what is happening, see what is going on with the variants, have a better idea of whether new variants are entering the country, if there are other variants in addition to those that have been identified, contribute to global surveillance of the virus, and buy time and get people vaccinated.

- An agreement was announced a few days ago that would give National Health Fund patients discounts on medications purchased in pharmacies. Why is this measure important, and where do things stand with it?   

- This benefit is part of the government’s Economic Security Plan, and it is very important because it reduces out of pocket spending by up to 39% for National Health Fund members. It allows them to access preferential discounts on 6,900 medications and over 1,400 consumer products. It is important to remember that medication is of the most important components of spending on health care. This measure offers discounts of up to 90%.

The medications and consumer products that are included in this agreement are listed in a “medication search engine” that has been posted on the National Health Fund website. Clients simply bring a prescription for a National Health Fund user name to the pharmacy withing six months of issuance.

- There are lots of challenges ahead this year. What major goals have you have set for 2023?

- I am focused on the tasks that the President has given me, in the following order: decreasing wait times, making progress on the Building Mental Health plan, and Health Care Reform.