[Statement from the Immunization Committee of the Chilean Infectious Diseases Society in reference to vaccine refusal and mandatory policy on vaccination].

Although vaccines have had a tremendous impact in public health they are questioned by certain groups that consider them unnecessary or unsafe and argue in favor of the right to decide to be vacci nated or not. However vaccines must have special considerations because unlike other medical deci sions, not vaccinating has consequences not only for the individual but also for other members of the community. Immunizing a high proportion of the population limits the circulation of an infectious agent attaining what is called community or herd immunity that protects the susceptible members of the group.

[Statement from the Immunization Committee of the Chilean Infectious Diseases Society in reference to vaccine refusal and mandatory policy on vaccination].

Although vaccines have had a tremendous impact in public health they are questioned by certain groups that consider them unnecessary or unsafe and argue in favor of the right to decide to be vaccinated or not. However vaccines must have special considerations because unlike other medical decisions, not vaccinating has consequences not only for the individual but also for other members of the community. Immunizing a high proportion of the population limits the circulation of an infectious agent attaining what is called herd immunity that protects the susceptible members of the group.

[Statement of the Advisory Committee on Immunizations of Sociedad Chilena de Infectología about outbreaks of hepatitis A in Chile].

This document represents the position of the Chilean Infectious Diseases Society Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices regarding hepatitis A epidemiological situation in Chile. The recommendations are based on local epidemiological data, the hepatitis A virus infection characteristics and the global experience with the available vaccines. In relation to hepatitis A, Chile is no longer a highly endemic area but actually an intermediate one, currently concentrating cases in individuals over 15 years of age, with frequent outbreaks.

[Strategies to protect the newborn and infants under 6 months of age against pertussis: Statement of the Advisory Committee for Immunizations of the Chilean Infectious Diseases Society].

In recent years there have been Pertussis outbreaks not seen in the last 50 years affecting adults, adolescents and children and causing deaths in young unvaccinated infants. In Chile an outbreak of Pertussis started in year 2011, leaving 16 infants less than 3 months dead during this year, twice the number seen in a non epidemic year. These children were infected before receiving the programmatic vaccines indicated at 2, 4 and 6 months of age, usually from close contacts, especially their mothers.

[Reasons to recommend vaccination against dengue in Easter Island: Immunization Advisory Committee of Sociedad Chilena de Infectología].

Dengue was first diagnosed on Easter Island on year 2002 and thereafter recurrent outbreaks have occurred involving different serotypes of dengue virus. Its vector, Aedes aegypti has not been eliminated despite the small size of the island. Conditions at the local hospital preclude adequate management of severe and hemorrhagic cases due to the absence of a Critical Care Unit as well as no availability of platelets, or plasma units for transfusion.

[Statement of the Advisory Immunization Committee of the Chilean Society of Infectious Diseases on the emergence of serotype 19A pneumococcal infection and the use of pneumococcal conjugated vaccine in Chilean children].

Inclusion of the 10-valent pneumococcal conjugated vaccine (PCV10) in the Chilean infant vaccination Program in 2011 was followed by a reduction of hospital admissions and pneumonia-related deaths in this age group. However, a progressive increase of serotype 19A pneumococcal isolates (not included in PCV10) has been observed. According to the analysis of pneumococcal strains performed by the national reference laboratory of the Institute of Public Health as part of a national surveillance on invasive pneumococcal infections, the relative proportion of serotype 19A isolates increased from <5% before 2010 to 12-23% in years 2014-2015.

[Knowledge and attitudes of the parents in relation to the vaccination of their children].

Introduction: Vaccination, a health action that has allowed to decrease mortality and to eradicate many diseases, may be at risk as a result of misinformation of parents and campaigns led by movements against vaccines.

Objective: To describe and analyze the knowledge and attitudes of parents of newborns and children of 2 and more months of age against the application of vaccines.

Method: Exploratory study performed by application of a questionnaire to parents attending the UC CHRISTUS health network.