FEB. 7, 2022

President Piñera receives fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose: “Our strategy is to always protect the health and lives of all Chileans”

The vaccination of the President was part of Chile’s national inoculation plan. According to the official calendar, the mass fourth-dose (or second booster dose) COVID-19 vaccination process begins this Monday, February 7 for people of 55 years of age and over. 

The President of Chile, Sebastián Piñera, received a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose this Monday morning, thus launching the mass inoculation plan for people of 55 years of age and over. He was accompanied by the Presidential Delegate for Los Ríos Region, César Asenjo. 

 

“Our strategy is to always protect the health and lives of each and every Chilean,” the President stated from the Community Family Health Center (Centro Comunitario de Salud Familiar, CECOSF) in the municipality of Futrono, Los Ríos Region. 

 

The schedule for the fourth-dose COVID-19 vaccination process in the National Immunization Plan started on Monday, January 10. The opening phase began with immunocompromised people who had received their last dose before September 12, 2021. 

The process continues from February 7 for people of 55 years of age and older who received their last booster dose before August 15, 2021. The strategy will continue to move forward and expand over the coming months. 

“Chile has already been fighting this pandemic for almost two years, with dedication and commitment. I’m very proud of all Chileans for the courage, perseverance, and strength that they’ve shown,” the President stated. 

The application of a new booster dose is warranted because it has been proved that the effectiveness of the primary vaccine schemes reduces over time. This is true of both its level of protection against COVID-19 and the most severe forms of the disease. 

To date, 46,952,173 doses have been administered in Chile. Of these, 14,384,492 relate to people who have been given a first and only dose, and 14,114,042 to those who have completed their vaccination scheme. This corresponds to 94.63% and 92.85% of the target population to be vaccinated, respectively. The process is voluntary and free of charge. 

“We hope that this Omicron wave, which is now peaking in Chile, begins to drop off soon, very soon, to allow us to recover our lives, our life projects, and our dreams,” the President concluded.