Homologación de vacunas contra la COVID-19: experiencia y desafíos desde su implementación en Chile

The objective of this article is to describe the experience in Chile, during 2021 and 2022, with the validation of COVID-19 vaccines administered abroad and the main obstacles during the implementation of this process. This validation is given throughout South America and, in the case of Chile, it has been a successful undertaking with the validation of more than two million vaccines from different countries. Validation is a systematic process involving reviews conducted by trained professionals, which helps maintain international relations with other countries and fulfill the objectives set forth by the health authority. Despite the project’s success, it has brought to light situations such as digital gaps in the population and differences in the reporting systems and types of vaccines administered in each country. The following solutions have been proposed: a public contact center for users having difficulty with the technology; more flexible requirements for validation; and the possibility of continuing with the vaccination program in Chile, always focused on protecting the population, reducing the potential risk of disease transmission, and maintaining public health.