SANTIAGO - Some 68.02 percent of Chile's target population of about 15 million inhabitants, that is 10,340,278 people, has been fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Ministry of Health said Tuesday.

Some 82.18 percent of the target population has received the first dose, the ministry said in a statement.

In all, 22,471,652 doses have been applied since Chile launched its vaccination drive earlier this year.

Minister of Health Enrique Paris urged young people to get vaccinated, "because this way they protect their lives and that of their families and friends."

In the meantime, self-care measures "are still the most effective (way) to prevent new infections," he added.

As of Thursday, it will be the turn of 17-year-old adolescents to get vaccinated, followed by 16 to 12 year olds.

Chile hopes to immunize the entire target population by midyear, as part of its strategy to achieve herd immunity. At the same time, scientists are studying the possibility of applying a third dose of a vaccine to boost immunity.

On Tuesday, the South American country reported 2,648 new cases of COVID-19 and 35 more deaths in one day, raising the total caseload to 1,553,774 and the pandemic death toll to 32,489.