[REVISION HISTORY]

Chile respiratory virus circulation hits three-year high

Updated 9 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-01 21:20 UTC → 2026-09-11 11:31 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Chile ~~flu vaccine rollout expands, coverage climbs~~ respiratory virus circulation hits three-year high

Chile’s universal free influenza vaccination programme, expanded to the entire population on 23 July, has seen vaccination coverage reach 78.8%. While the campaign aims for an 85% target, specific groups remain below this threshold, including children aged 6 months to 5 years (64.6%), pregnant women (75.9%), and seniors aged 60 and older (62.5%). In contrast, RSV immunization coverage has reached 97.5%. Health officials have highlighted a strong correlation between vaccination status and severe outcomes, reporting that 70% of individuals who died from influenza during the 2026 winter campaign were ~~unvaccinated, and 53% of those hospitalized with severe cases had not received the vaccine.~~ unvaccinated. Viral circulation ~~remains high; by epidemiological~~ has intensified, reaching a three-year high. During the week ~~32,~~ of 23 to 29 August, sample positivity ~~reached 54.3%,~~ hit 57.9%, surpassing the ~~highest recorded in 2026.~~ previous week’s 56.1%. Rhinovirus ~~is currently~~ remains the most prevalent ~~virus~~ agent at ~~32.4%,~~ 33.5%, followed by RSV at ~~27.4% and Influenza B at 14.4%. Regional health concerns are expanding. In the Maule Region,~~ 27.6%. While general emergency consultations for respiratory ~~virus circulation reached a 2026 peak with~~ infections saw a ~~61% positivity rate, leading to rising hospitalization rates among children and~~ slight decrease of 4.6%, the ~~elderly.~~ Ministry of Health reported a 2.3% increase in consultations for infants under one year old, alongside a 5.5% rise in hospitalizations for this age group. Currently, 41.2% of patients in pediatric intensive care units are being treated for respiratory pathologies. Regional pressures persist. In the Coquimbo Region, regional health ~~officials are reinforcing prevention measures against listeriosis, noting~~ authority Karen Irribarra Vergara noted that ~~61% of annual cases concentrate in individuals~~ while over ~~60. In Coquimbo, regional authorities report that nearly 70% of influenza deaths occurred among unvaccinated individuals, primarily within the elderly population. Vaccination coverage for~~ 108,000 seniors ~~in the region is currently~~ have been vaccinated, coverage stands at 57%, missing the 85% target. ~~New reports indicate a sharp increase in respiratory consultations at the Puerto Aysén Hospital, where emergency visits rose from 88 to 201 in a two-week period.~~ In the Aysén region, Influenza B has emerged as the ~~most detected~~ primary agent, accounting for approximately 41.7% of ~~identified cases.~~ cases, coinciding with a sharp rise in emergency visits at the Puerto Aysén Hospital.

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