We have to prepare for winter. The viruses are already here.
As winter approaches the Coquimbo region, the town of Vicuña finds itself at a familiar crossroads between preparedness and vulnerability — a place where a 62 percent vaccination rate tells only part of the story. The most fragile among its residents, the very young and the very old, remain exposed at a moment when respiratory viruses are already beginning their quiet advance. In a region that carries the unwelcome distinction of lowest flu vaccination coverage in Chile, local health workers are not waiting for the cold to arrive before acting.
- Coquimbo holds the lowest flu vaccination rates in all of Chile, and within Vicuña, infants and adults over sixty remain critically underprotected despite the commune's overall 62% coverage.
- Respiratory viruses are already circulating before winter's peak, narrowing the window for communities to build meaningful immunity.
- Health teams are abandoning the waiting room model — deploying mobile vaccination stations at a busy Tuesday market and a central plaza to meet residents in the spaces they already inhabit.
- A rotating circuit of rural posts reaches isolated communities across the week, from Huanta and Chapilca to Villaseca and El Tambo, ensuring geography is not a barrier to protection.
- The coming weeks will reveal whether this outreach push can close the coverage gap — and whether the region's most vulnerable residents will face winter shielded or exposed.
Winter is approaching the Coquimbo region, and health authorities in Vicuña are moving with urgency. The Department of Health has issued a call for residents — especially those in vulnerable groups — to get vaccinated against influenza before the coldest months arrive and respiratory illness surges.
Vicuña's 62 percent coverage exceeds the regional average, but that figure conceals a troubling gap: infants between six months and five years old, and adults over sixty, remain dangerously underprotected. Nurse Camila Alfaro Cerda, who oversees the municipal vaccination program, is candid about the broader context — Coquimbo is the lowest-performing region in Chile for flu vaccination, a distinction that carries real consequences when winter arrives.
To reach those who cannot easily access a health clinic, the department has taken the vaccine into the community. A mobile station sets up each Tuesday at the Sargento Aldea Street market, and another operates Wednesdays at Gabriela Mistral Plaza. CESFAM San Isidro–Calingasta maintains its regular Monday-through-Saturday schedule, while a rotating circuit of rural posts serves communities throughout the week — Huanta, Chapilca, Varillar, Rivadavia, Villaseca, Villa Puclaro, and El Tambo among them.
Alfaro notes that viruses do not wait for the thermometer to drop — they are already circulating. The campaign targets a wide range of at-risk groups, from healthcare and education workers to pregnant women, the chronically ill, and caregivers for the elderly. All that is required to receive the vaccine is an identity card. As the weeks grow colder, how well Vicuña closes its coverage gap may determine how many of its most vulnerable residents weather the season at home rather than in a hospital.
Winter is coming to the Coquimbo region, and the health authorities in Vicuña are moving fast. The Department of Health has launched an urgent call for residents to get vaccinated against influenza, particularly those in vulnerable groups—the very people most likely to suffer severe complications when respiratory viruses begin their seasonal surge. The timing is deliberate. In a few weeks, the coldest months will arrive, bringing with them a predictable wave of illness that the region has learned to dread.
Vicuña itself is not in crisis. The commune has achieved 62 percent coverage in its flu vaccination campaign, a figure that actually exceeds the regional average. But that number masks a troubling reality: two critical populations remain dangerously underprotected. Infants between six months and five years old, and adults over sixty, have vaccination rates that fall well short of what public health officials consider safe. Camila Alfaro Cerda, the nurse who oversees the National Immunization Program at the municipal vaccination center, does not mince words about the larger picture. Coquimbo, she explains, holds an unwelcome distinction—it is the lowest-performing region in the entire country when it comes to flu vaccination coverage. For a region that knows what winter can bring, that ranking is a source of genuine concern.
The gap between those who can easily reach a health clinic and those who cannot is part of the problem. To close it, the health department has begun deploying vaccination stations beyond the walls of its formal facilities. Starting this week, a team will set up at the Tuesday market on Sargento Aldea Street, a busy public space where residents already gather. The idea is simple: meet people where they are. Every Tuesday morning, the vaccine will be there. On Wednesdays, another station will operate at Gabriela Mistral Plaza. The CESFAM San Isidro–Calingasta continues its regular schedule, Monday through Saturday. And for those in the countryside, a rotating schedule of rural posts ensures that even the most isolated communities have access—Huanta on Monday mornings, Chapilca mid-morning, Varillar by late morning, and a series of stops throughout the week in Rivadavia, Villaseca, Villa Puclaro, and El Tambo.
Alfaro emphasizes what the data from previous winters have already shown: respiratory viruses do not wait for the calendar to turn cold. They are already circulating, even in the warmer months. The window to build immunity is narrow. She lists the groups the campaign targets: healthcare workers, people over sixty, those with chronic illnesses, pregnant women, infants from six months onward, schoolchildren through fifth grade, education workers, caregivers for the elderly, and transport workers, among others. Each group carries its own risk. Each deserves protection.
To receive the vaccine, a person needs only an identity card or other official identification—a straightforward requirement designed to ensure the vaccine reaches those who need it most. As the weeks ahead grow colder and the viral load in the air increases, whether Vicuña and the broader Coquimbo region can close the gap in coverage may well determine how many people spend winter in a hospital bed rather than at home.
Notable Quotes
Coquimbo has a poor record—we are the lowest region in the entire country for flu vaccination coverage. Vicuña is doing better at 62 percent, but we have two major priority groups with very low rates: infants from six months to five years and adults over sixty.— Camila Alfaro Cerda, nurse overseeing the National Immunization Program
We have to prepare for winter. Previous years show winter comes very strong and respiratory viruses are circulating even in summer. It is important to protect ourselves during this time.— Camila Alfaro Cerda
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does Coquimbo have the lowest vaccination rates in the country? Is it a resources problem, or something else?
It's complicated. Vicuña itself isn't resource-starved—they've hit 62 percent. But the region as a whole lags, and part of it is access. People in rural areas, elderly folks who don't drive, families juggling work and childcare—they can't always get to a clinic during business hours. That's why the Tuesday market matters.
So the mobile stations are a direct response to that barrier?
Exactly. You can't vaccinate people if they have to choose between missing work and getting a shot. The market is where they already are. It removes friction.
You mentioned infants and the elderly are particularly low. Why those two groups specifically?
They're the ones most likely to die or end up hospitalized if they catch the flu. An infant's immune system isn't fully formed. An elderly person's is declining. Winter respiratory viruses hit them hardest. That's why the nurse was so direct about the concern.
Does the region have a history of bad flu seasons?
Yes. Alfaro mentioned that previous winters have been severe. The viruses are already circulating now, even before winter officially arrives. So there's a real sense of urgency—not panic, but the kind of focused concern that comes from knowing what's happened before.
What happens if coverage doesn't improve?
More people get sick. More hospitalizations. More deaths, particularly among the vulnerable. The health system gets strained. It's preventable, which is why they're pushing so hard right now.