In Chile, more than 87 percent of the adult population are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

The vaccination of adolescents has been going on for some time.

Now the government has started vaccinating minors; six-year-olds are already being vaccinated.

First of all, children with pre-existing conditions are next, said the Chilean health minister and doctor Enrique Paris in an interview with foreign media.

In the first few days, tens of thousands of Chileans in this age group were vaccinated.

Tjerk Brühwiller

Correspondent for Latin America based in São Paulo.

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"Although children do not usually get seriously ill, they are a reservoir of the virus," said Paris. There is a possibility of infection within the family, which is a risk especially for the elderly and those with previous illnesses. According to Paris, the vaccinations will also be administered directly to the schools by teams from the health authorities at the end of the month, always subject to parental consent. There is no compulsory vaccination, one relies on reason, said Paris.

The vaccines from BioNTech and Pfizer as well as the Chinese manufacturer Sinovac are used. According to experts and findings from clinical tests, the latter is well suited for children, since it is a classic dead vaccine. The effect in children is even better than in adults, as we know from our own studies and thanks to the experience of China, which has already vaccinated 40 million minors. Paris expects a high vaccination rate among minors in Chile. The interest in participating in the clinical tests was "gigantic".

Chile's vaccination campaign receives worldwide attention.

The government had sought supply contracts with various manufacturers at an early stage, making it one of the first countries to be able to start a broad-based vaccination campaign.

The campaign itself was energetic.

The Chileans could even get vaccinated in supermarkets.

Even so, the country suffered a strong second wave in the first half of the year.

Since then, however, the pandemic has declined sharply.

Fewer than 400 cases are currently registered every day.

Less than one percent of the tests are positive.

Concerns about Delta

While other countries in the region such as Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay have also started vaccinating young people from the age of twelve, Chile is the first country in South America to vaccinate children as young as six. Chile has also been using the so-called booster vaccination since last month. Studies have shown that immunity decreases after a few months, especially in older people, which is normal, said Paris. However, a third vaccination would multiply the antibodies. That is why a booster vaccination is particularly important for the elderly and sick. “This is not momentary, but will keep us busy for a long time,” said Paris. The Chilean government is negotiating with various manufacturers about the supply in the next few years.Local production of vaccines is also planned.

Chile is worried about the delta variant, which is slowly spreading in the region. Around a thousand cases have been registered so far, most of which are now due to local broadcasts. Furthermore, the country maintains strict entry controls with a quarantine obligation for all travelers. Tests are also carried out on newcomers. From October onwards, the government plans to ease it slightly, also with a view to the tourism sector.

The opening depends on the development in the next two weeks and this among other things on the upcoming weekend when the country celebrates its independence and the Chileans travel through the country. "If people don't pay attention, we'll have another climb," said Paris. The government has called for people to spend the holidays at home. Where meetings do take place, healthcare professionals with mobile test centers will be on hand to investigate suspected cases immediately.