The time spent traveling counts as paid work
En Chile, cuando el invierno se acerca y los virus respiratorios comienzan su ascenso estacional, el Estado ha decidido que protegerse no debería costar un día de salario. Los trabajadores de grupos de riesgo en la región de Coquimbo cuentan ahora con media jornada laboral remunerada para vacunarse contra la influenza, un reconocimiento institucional de que la salud pública es una responsabilidad colectiva, no un trámite personal. Es una política pequeña, pero revela una convicción más profunda: que eliminar las barreras cotidianas puede ser tan poderoso como cualquier campaña de concientización.
- Con el invierno encima y la cobertura de vacunación en Coquimbo aún en el 62%, las autoridades sienten la presión de acelerar la inmunización antes de que los contagios escalen.
- El principal obstáculo no era el miedo ni la desinformación, sino algo más mundano: los trabajadores no podían ausentarse sin perder ingresos, y esa fricción silenciosa frenaba la vacunación.
- La solución adoptada es directa — media jornada pagada, con el tiempo de traslado contabilizado como horas trabajadas, previa notificación de dos días al empleador.
- Los puntos de vacunación se han multiplicado fuera de los hospitales: la Plaza de Armas, un centro comercial y una junta de vecinos acercan el servicio a los circuitos cotidianos de la gente.
- Las autoridades regionales de salud y trabajo coinciden en el argumento: menos enfermos significa menos ausentismo, y eso convierte la vacunación en un beneficio para las empresas tanto como para las familias.
En la región de Coquimbo, los trabajadores de grupos de riesgo tienen ahora un derecho concreto: media jornada laboral remunerada para vacunarse contra la influenza. La medida, respaldada en el Código del Trabajo, apunta a eliminar uno de los obstáculos más simples pero más efectivos — la disyuntiva entre el sueldo y la vacuna.
El procedimiento es deliberadamente sencillo. El trabajador avisa a su empleador con al menos dos días de anticipación, asiste a un centro de vacunación y presenta el comprobante. El tiempo de traslado cuenta como horas trabajadas. No hay descuento, no hay penalización.
La secretaria regional del Trabajo, Andrea Barrera, subrayó que el beneficio protege tanto al trabajador como a su entorno familiar. La secretaria regional de Salud, Karen Irribarra, añadió una dimensión económica: la vacunación reduce el ausentismo laboral, lo que convierte la medida en un beneficio para las empresas también.
Para facilitar el acceso, La Serena habilitó puntos de vacunación en la Plaza de Armas, el Mall Plaza y la Junta de Vecinos La Pampa, llevando el servicio a los espacios por donde la gente ya transita. La cobertura regional alcanza el 62%, y las autoridades buscan que ese porcentaje siga subiendo conforme avanza la temporada de mayor circulación de virus respiratorios.
In the Coquimbo region of Chile, workers belonging to at-risk groups now have a concrete right: half a day away from their jobs to get vaccinated against the flu. It's a small policy with real teeth, anchored in the country's labor code and designed to remove one of the simplest barriers to protection—the need to choose between a paycheck and a needle.
The measure was reinforced by regional authorities as winter approaches and respiratory viruses begin their seasonal climb. Under the arrangement, eligible workers can step away from their posts to visit a health center, and the time spent traveling to and from vaccination sites counts as paid work. It's a recognition that vaccination isn't a personal errand to be squeezed into lunch breaks; it's a public health act that deserves institutional support.
Andrea Barrera, the regional labor secretary, framed the benefit as protection for workers and their families alike. The logic is straightforward: get people vaccinated, and you shield not just individuals but entire households from seasonal respiratory illness. Karen Irribarra, the regional health secretary, added another dimension—vaccination reduces absenteeism in workplaces. When workers don't get sick, companies don't lose productivity. It's a win that extends beyond the clinic.
The process itself is designed to be simple. Workers must notify their employer at least two days in advance, then attend one of several vaccination sites scattered across the region. A receipt from the vaccination center serves as proof. The time used is legally considered as hours worked, meaning no lost wages, no penalty.
La Serena's municipal health department has made access easier by setting up vaccination points beyond hospital walls. The Plaza de Armas, Mall Plaza, and the La Pampa Community Center all offer shots, bringing the service closer to where people actually move through their days. This isn't a policy that requires workers to navigate a bureaucratic maze; it's one that meets them where they are.
As of the reporting date, the Coquimbo region had achieved 62 percent vaccination coverage against influenza. That number matters because it's not yet universal, and winter is when respiratory viruses spread fastest. Regional authorities have made clear they want that percentage to climb higher. The half-day leave policy is one tool among several designed to remove friction from the decision to get vaccinated. Whether it moves the needle on coverage rates will become clear as the season deepens.
Notable Quotes
This right seeks to protect both workers and their families against respiratory viruses typical of the season— Andrea Barrera, regional labor secretary
Vaccination not only protects individual health but also reduces workplace absenteeism— Karen Irribarra, regional health secretary
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does a half-day leave policy matter for something as routine as a flu shot?
Because routine things don't happen unless you remove the obstacles. A worker in a low-wage job can't afford to lose four hours of pay. This policy says the employer absorbs that cost, not the worker.
But doesn't everyone know they should get vaccinated?
Knowing and doing are different things. Knowledge doesn't pay rent. This policy acknowledges that—it treats vaccination as something the system should support, not something individuals squeeze in on their own time.
Why focus on at-risk groups specifically?
Because they're the ones most likely to get seriously ill. Elderly workers, people with chronic conditions, immunocompromised individuals—they're the ones who end up hospitalized. Protecting them protects the whole community.
Does the 62 percent coverage rate suggest the policy is working?
It's too early to say. That number was current when this was reported. What matters is whether it climbs as winter deepens and respiratory illness peaks. The policy removes one excuse; whether people take it depends on trust in the vaccine and access to information.
What happens if a worker doesn't use the leave?
That's their choice. The policy creates a right, not a mandate. But by making it frictionless, authorities are betting more people will choose protection when the barrier is gone.