The vaccine prevents me from getting seriously ill, from dying
En el umbral del invierno epidemiológico, el Servicio de Salud Valparaíso-San Antonio ha llevado la vacuna al encuentro de las personas, instalando puntos de inmunización dentro de sus propios hospitales. La lógica es antigua y sencilla: reducir la distancia entre la intención y el acto. En la semana epidemiológica 22, con la circulación viral en ascenso, esta decisión reconoce que proteger a los más vulnerables —adultos mayores, embarazadas, niños pequeños— no depende solo de la ciencia, sino de la oportunidad.
- La circulación de virus respiratorios escala en la semana 22, y el tiempo para vacunarse antes de que la curva se agudice se estrecha.
- Muchas personas en riesgo llegan a los hospitales por otras razones y salen sin vacunarse, no por rechazo, sino por falta de oportunidad.
- El servicio de salud instala puntos de vacunación en tres hospitales con horarios extendidos, apostando a capturar a pacientes, acompañantes y visitantes en el mismo momento en que ya están dentro del sistema.
- Se desmonta un mito frecuente: la congestión nasal o el resfrío leve no son razones para postergar la vacuna; solo la fiebre lo es.
- La campaña apela especialmente a padres de niños de seis meses a cinco años que no asisten a jardín ni escuela, cuya vacunación puede quedar invisible entre las grietas del sistema.
El Servicio de Salud Valparaíso-San Antonio ha dado un paso pragmático frente al invierno: en lugar de esperar que la gente busque la vacuna, la ha llevado adentro de sus propios hospitales. Tres establecimientos —San José de Casablanca, Claudio Vicuña en San Antonio y Carlos Van Buren en Valparaíso— cuentan ahora con puntos de vacunación con horarios diseñados para coincidir con el flujo natural de personas que ya están ahí por otras razones.
Jelitsa Rojas Jacob, coordinadora de la campaña, explica que la barrera para vacunarse rara vez es médica: es logística. Por eso la estrategia apunta no solo a los pacientes, sino también a sus acompañantes y a quienes llegan por atención espontánea o consultas de especialidad. El foco está puesto en los grupos más vulnerables: mayores de 60 años, embarazadas y niños de seis meses a cinco años, especialmente aquellos que no asisten a establecimientos educacionales y cuya vacunación puede pasar inadvertida.
Rojas también aclaró un malentendido común: tener resfrío o congestión nasal no es motivo para esperar. Solo la fiebre contraindica la vacuna. Y subrayó que, si bien el lavado de manos, la ventilación y el uso de mascarilla siguen siendo importantes, la vacuna cumple una función que ninguna otra medida puede reemplazar: evitar que la enfermedad se convierta en algo grave. "La vacuna salva vidas", dijo. "Previene que me enferme gravemente, que desarrolle complicaciones, que muera."
The Valparaíso-San Antonio Health Service has opened vaccination stations inside its network hospitals, betting that people will get their shots while they're already there—waiting for a specialist appointment, bringing a family member in, or coming in for routine care. It's a practical move, born from the simple observation that barriers to vaccination often aren't medical; they're logistical.
Jelitsa Rojas Jacob, who coordinates the winter vaccination campaign for the health service, describes the strategy plainly: vaccination points in every medium and large hospital, with hours stretched as long as possible to catch people moving through the system. The goal is to reach not just patients but their companions too, and especially the people most vulnerable to severe respiratory illness—the elderly, pregnant women, families with young children. "The entire at-risk population that comes to the hospital, whether as a visitor or for spontaneous care or a specialist visit, should have the opportunity to be vaccinated," Rojas explained.
Timing matters. The region is now in epidemiological week 22, and viral circulation is climbing. This is the moment when respiratory infections accelerate, when the curve bends upward. Rojas made a particular appeal to parents of children between six months and five years old—kids who may not attend daycare or school, and whose vaccination status might otherwise slip through the cracks. "We're calling on parents to get these children vaccinated as soon as possible," she said.
The health service has also clarified what shouldn't stop someone from getting vaccinated. A runny nose or nasal congestion are not reasons to wait. Fever is the only real contraindication. This matters because many people assume any respiratory symptom means they should postpone vaccination, when in fact the vaccine works precisely because respiratory season is here.
Rojas emphasized that vaccination is only one part of the picture. Hand washing, adequate ventilation, avoiding sudden temperature changes, and wearing a mask if you have respiratory symptoms all matter. But the vaccine itself does something the other measures cannot: it prevents the severe complications that land people in hospitals in the first place. "The vaccine is safe. The vaccine saves lives. It prevents me from getting seriously ill, from developing complications, from dying," she said.
Three hospitals in the service area now have vaccination points. Hospital San José de Casablanca operates Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday until 3 p.m. Hospital Claudio Vicuña in San Antonio runs weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hospital Carlos Van Buren in Valparaíso, operating out of its specialty clinic, is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The hours are designed to catch people during their medical visits, removing one more reason to delay.
Notable Quotes
The entire at-risk population that comes to the hospital should have the opportunity to be vaccinated— Jelitsa Rojas Jacob, winter vaccination campaign coordinator
The vaccine is safe, the vaccine saves lives. It prevents me from getting seriously ill, from developing complications, from dying— Jelitsa Rojas Jacob
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why put vaccination stations inside hospitals instead of just expanding the usual clinics?
Because people are already there. You're coming in for a checkup, or your mother is admitted, and suddenly you have time and you're in a place where health happens. You remove the extra trip.
But doesn't that risk overwhelming the hospitals themselves?
That's why they're careful about placement—specialty clinics, not emergency departments. And the hours are set to fit around regular operations. It's about capturing the moment, not creating chaos.
The official mentions week 22 specifically. Why is that number important?
It's the epidemiological calendar. Week 22 is when they're seeing the curve actually rise. It's not a prediction anymore; it's happening now. That's when urgency becomes real.
Why the emphasis on children six months to five years?
Because those kids often fall through gaps. They're not in school yet, so they're not caught by school vaccination drives. Parents have to remember on their own, and winter is chaotic. These kids are also more vulnerable to severe illness.
The note about nasal congestion—that seems like it's addressing a real misconception.
Absolutely. People think any respiratory symptom means wait. But that's exactly when you need the vaccine most. The only real reason to postpone is fever, which suggests active infection. Everything else is just winter.
What's the underlying assumption here about how people make health decisions?
That convenience matters as much as information. You can tell people the vaccine is safe and effective, but if they have to take a bus across town and wait in a clinic, some won't go. Meet them where they already are, and the numbers change.