We don't want patients arriving at our health facilities. To prevent that, it's better to immunize.
Cada invierno, Chile enfrenta una marea predecible de enfermedades respiratorias que pone a prueba la capacidad de su sistema de salud; este año, las autoridades de la región de Valparaíso han respondido con una campaña que reconoce una verdad antigua: prevenir el sufrimiento es más sabio que intentar contenerlo una vez desatado. Con coberturas de vacunación que dejan a los más vulnerables —niños pequeños, embarazadas y adultos mayores— expuestos al riesgo, la campaña de invierno 2026 es tanto una convocatoria comunitaria como una advertencia sobre lo que ocurre cuando la protección colectiva queda incompleta. La pregunta que subyace no es técnica sino humana: ¿lograrán las voces de vecinos, funcionarios y pacientes llegar a quienes aún no han dado ese paso?
- Las brechas de vacunación en los grupos más vulnerables —adultos mayores al 54%, niños pequeños al 60%— revelan que la protección colectiva está lejos de ser completa antes de que llegue el peak invernal.
- Cada invierno, la ola de enfermedades respiratorias amenaza con colapsar clínicas y hospitales, y este año las autoridades advierten que el margen de error es estrecho.
- El sistema de salud se prepara en paralelo: hospitales reconvierten camas, abren nuevos espacios y capacitan personal, porque saben que la prevención nunca es perfecta.
- Más de 180 centros de vacunación desplegados en plazas, consultorios y estaciones de metro buscan eliminar las excusas y acercar la vacuna a quienes aún no la han recibido.
- Voces de la propia comunidad —pacientes que han visto morir a personas por enfermedades prevenibles— se suman al llamado oficial, convirtiendo la campaña en algo más que una instrucción sanitaria.
Una mañana de fines de mayo, en un consultorio de Quilpué, autoridades de salud anunciaron la Campaña Comunicacional de Invierno 2026 con una premisa clara: es mejor prevenir que atender. La campaña descansa en cinco pilares —lavado de manos, uso de mascarilla ante síntomas, ventilación de espacios, vacunación oportuna y uso adecuado del sistema de salud— y se despliega en un momento en que cada año la demanda invernal pone al límite a hospitales y clínicas de todo Chile.
La doctora Mariol Luan, secretaria regional de salud, resumió la doble apuesta de la campaña: prevenir el contagio y, si este ocurre, tener un sistema preparado para responder. Pero los números revelan el desafío real. En la región de Valparaíso, la cobertura general de vacunación alcanza el 68,36%, una cifra que se desmorona al mirar a los grupos prioritarios: los niños de seis meses a cinco años llegan apenas al 60,20%, las embarazadas al 61,95%, y los adultos mayores de 60 años —los más expuestos a cuadros graves— al 54,44%.
Funcionarios como Aroldo Faúndez, del servicio de salud Viña del Mar-Quillota-Petorca, fueron directos: la vacunación es la herramienta más importante, y el objetivo es que las personas no lleguen a urgencias. Para acercar esa protección, la campaña desplegó centros de vacunación en consultorios, plazas y estaciones de metro a lo largo de toda la región, con más de 180 puntos disponibles.
Pero quizás las palabras más poderosas no vinieron de los funcionarios. Marta Reyes, usuaria del consultorio, habló desde la experiencia: había visto morir a personas por enfermedades que una vacuna podría haber evitado. Su mensaje fue simple y urgente: vacunarse no es solo un acto individual, sino una invitación que hay que extender a los vecinos, sin miedo. La campaña de este año no es nueva en su forma, pero sí en su apuesta: que la suma de voces oficiales y comunitarias logre cerrar las brechas antes de que el invierno llegue a su punto más alto.
On a late May morning in Quilpué, health officials gathered at a primary care clinic to announce what they hope will be a turning point in how Chile approaches the coming winter. The Campaña Comunicacional de Invierno 2026—the Winter Communication Campaign—is built on a simple premise: prevent respiratory illness before it overwhelms hospitals, and if people do get sick, make sure the health system is ready. The campaign centers on five concrete actions: wash your hands often, wear a mask if you have respiratory symptoms, keep spaces ventilated, get vaccinated on time, and use the healthcare system properly when you need it.
The timing matters. Every winter, respiratory diseases surge across Chile, and the surge creates a cascade of demand that strains clinics and hospitals. This year's campaign is a coordinated push across the country, with regional health authorities deploying resources to reach people before illness arrives. Dr. Mariol Luan, the regional health secretary, framed it as both prevention and preparedness. Hospitals are converting beds, opening new spaces, training staff. But the real goal is simpler: keep people out of the hospital in the first place. "The idea is to prevent," she said, "but if we do get sick, as a health system we are ready."
The numbers tell a story of incomplete coverage. In the Valparaíso region, 724,440 people have been vaccinated so far—a 68.36% coverage rate. That sounds reasonable until you look closer. Children between six months and five years are at 60.20% coverage. Pregnant women are at 61.95%. Adults over sixty, the most vulnerable group, are at 54.44%. These gaps matter because these are the people most likely to develop severe respiratory illness when winter arrives. Aroldo Faúndez, the acting director of the Viña del Mar-Quillota-Petorca health service, was direct about the stakes: "The most important thing is vaccination, prevention. We don't want patients arriving at our health facilities. To prevent that, it's better to immunize."
Evelyn Beiza, acting director of primary care for the Aconcagua health service, echoed the concern. The vulnerable populations—young children and elderly people—are the ones most at risk during winter, and they're the ones with the lowest vaccination rates. The message from officials was consistent: come to a health center, get vaccinated, protect yourself and those around you. Patricia Colarte, the municipal secretary in Quilpué, described the territorial effort already underway: vaccination centers in health clinics, in plazas, in metro stations, at multiple points across the city. The invitation went specifically to children aged six months to five years, to older adults, and to people with chronic illnesses.
At the clinic itself, people who use the health system spoke about why vaccination matters. Carlos Santana, a patient there, said it plainly: "I think it's really important today, really necessary that we're vaccinated. Not just for ourselves, but for everyone else too." Marta Reyes was more direct still. She had seen people die from vaccine-preventable diseases. "You have to get vaccinated to prevent illness," she said. "We know people have died from not getting vaccinated. So we have to invite our neighbors to come get vaccinated, not be afraid."
The vaccination targets are broad: people sixty and older, children from six months through fifth grade, pregnant women, people with chronic conditions, early childhood and school workers, healthcare workers in public and private settings, and workers in poultry, livestock, and pig farming operations. Across the Valparaíso region, more than 180 vaccination centers are open, with hours and locations available online. The campaign is not new—winter health pushes happen every year—but the gaps in coverage suggest that reaching people remains a challenge. The question now is whether the coordinated effort, the territorial deployment, and the direct appeals from both officials and community members will move those numbers before the season peaks.
Notable Quotes
The idea is to prevent, but if we do get sick, as a health system we are ready.— Dr. Mariol Luan, regional health secretary
We know people have died from not getting vaccinated. So we have to invite our neighbors to come get vaccinated, not be afraid.— Marta Reyes, health center user
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why focus the campaign on those specific vulnerable groups—children under five, pregnant women, the elderly?
Because they're the ones who get the sickest when respiratory viruses spread. A healthy adult might have a bad cold. A child under five or an elderly person can end up in the hospital, or worse. The coverage numbers show we're missing them.
The overall coverage rate of 68% sounds decent. Why is that not enough?
Because winter doesn't care about averages. If you have pockets of low coverage—54% in seniors, 60% in young children—those are the people who will fill hospital beds in July and August. The system can only handle so much.
What's the real barrier? Why aren't people getting vaccinated if the centers are accessible?
That varies. Some people are skeptical. Some don't know where to go or when. Some are busy. Some have had bad experiences with healthcare. The campaign is trying to meet people where they are—plazas, metro stations—not just in clinics.
Marta Reyes mentioned people dying from not being vaccinated. Is that common in Chile?
Common enough that she felt compelled to say it. Respiratory diseases kill people every winter, especially the very young and very old. It's preventable, which is why the tone of the campaign is urgent but not panicked.
What happens if coverage doesn't improve before winter?
Hospitals get overwhelmed. People wait longer for care. Some conditions that could be prevented become severe. The system has prepared extra beds, but preparation only goes so far. Prevention is always cheaper and less painful than treatment.
Is this campaign unique to Valparaíso, or is it nationwide?
It's nationwide, but each region has its own numbers and its own challenges. Valparaíso is one of the regions reporting these gaps. The campaign launched simultaneously across the country, but the real work is local—getting people in Quilpué, in Viña del Mar, to actually show up.