Abstract

--- - The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) worldwide was created in 1974 as an initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). - In Chile, the current National Immunization Program (PNI)originates from the Extended Inmunization Plan (EPI) established in 1978. In its beginnings, the EPI was based on legal provisions defined in 1975, which established the Communicable Diseases of Compulsory Vaccination. Since 2010, the Exempt Decree No. 6 promulgated on January 29, provides the Mandatory Vaccination against Immune preventable Diseases of the Population of the Country. Subsequently there have been modifications to the Exempt Decree No. 6 reflecting the incorporation of new vaccines to the calendar, modifications in the target groups and /or changes in vaccination strategies, among others. These provisions also state that the Ministry of Health must ensure free access to safe and effective vaccinations for the entire target population. - The aim oh this article is to describe evolution of vaccination initiatives in our country, from before the creation of the EPI, the systematization of vaccination strategies once the program is established, until the modifications made in the last decade.