3,600 People Turn Out for Barceloneta Health Fair as Arecibo Region Posts 50.5% High Cholesterol Rate

More than 3,600 people passed through Estadio Sixto Escobar in Barceloneta on Saturday, October 31, where the Department of Health ran the sixth edition of its "Salud eres tú" fair. There were glucose tests, chronic disease screenings, vaccines, mobile clinics and more than a dozen specialties, all free for residents of Barceloneta and nearby towns ¹. The operation also included something less visible and more urgent: home visits to bedridden people, who received medical care and guidance without leaving their bedroom ¹².

Background: health care brought to the community

"Salud eres tú" was created to bring Department of Health services to regions where getting to an appointment is an uphill climb. For this edition, the agency responded to needs it identified in the Arecibo Region, which includes Barceloneta, based on 2025 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data ². Health Secretary Víctor M. Ramos Otero summed up the approach by saying "we keep bringing health services directly to the communities" ¹.

The fair was announced on Tuesday, October 27, along with a flu vaccination operation for bedridden people in Florida and Barceloneta, and a rabies vaccination day for pets on Friday, October 30 at Parque Pasivo Jannette González Sánchez in Florida ². That day, 600 doses were given to dogs and cats, along with deworming, in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Veterinary Medical Association ¹.

The numbers behind the operation

The Arecibo Region data explain why the area was chosen. According to BRFSS 2025, 50.5% of adults have high cholesterol, 39.3% have hypertension, 20.7% have diabetes (about 83,000 people) and 31.5% live with obesity ¹². In addition, 36.5% report some disability and 39.1% get no physical activity in their free time ².

Access to preventive care also shows cracks. About 13.2% of adults, roughly 53,000, had no routine checkup in the past year, and nearly 31,000 (7.8%) skipped a doctor visit because of cost ¹².

As for bedridden people, the Department estimates about 16,000 older adults on the island are in that condition ². At the fair, a general practitioner visited more than 22 bedridden patients to provide care, screenings and guidance ¹. The agency also set up a phone line to request home flu vaccination for those who cannot travel ².

What it means for you

If you live in the Arecibo Region, these numbers are your mirror: nearly one in two adults has high cholesterol and two in ten have diabetes. That does not mean you have it, but a screening is worth your time. A glucose test takes minutes and can catch in time something that, untreated, ends in serious complications ¹.

If you care for a bedridden relative, the news is that you do not have to load them into an ambulance to get vaccinated. The Department of Health coordinates home visits. The flu vaccine is recommended every season for everyone 6 months and older, with emphasis on those at higher risk of complications ³. A bedridden older adult falls squarely in that group.

And if you do not live in Barceloneta, keep in mind that the traveling fair model rotates through regions. The latest edition has no announced date for the next one, but it is worth following the agency's notices ¹.

How to / Checklist

1. Call the Department of Health's Vaccination Division at 787-765-2929, extensions 3367 or 3338, and say you are requesting home vaccination for a bedridden person ².
2. Have the person's details ready (full name, age, conditions) and the exact address where the vaccine will be given, so staff can set a date and time ².
3. For general questions or to write in, use [email protected] or the same number, 787-765-2929 ¹².
4. Book an appointment with your doctor for a routine checkup if more than a year has passed since your last one. Ask about glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol ¹².
5. To quit smoking, the Department's line is 1-877-335-2567. For HIV and sexually transmitted infection guidance, 787-765-1010 ².
6. Watch social media and salud.pr.gov to learn where the next "Salud eres tú" will be held ¹.

What's next

The Department did not announce the date or location of the seventh edition of the fair ¹. What is underway is flu season, and the home vaccination operation remains available by phone ². Vaccination continues over the coming months, and getting vaccinated early leaves you protected when the virus circulates most ³. It remains to be seen whether the agency takes the same format, home visits included, to other regions with equally delicate numbers.

Sources

1. Puerto Rico Department of Health, "Salud lleva servicios de salud a cientos de residentes de Barceloneta y pueblos cercanos en sexta edición de la feria Salud eres tú" (November 1, 2026) - https://www.salud.pr.gov/CMS/738
2. Puerto Rico Department of Health, "Salud realizará operativo de vacunación contra la influenza para personas encamadas en Florida y Barceloneta" (October 27, 2026) - https://www.salud.pr.gov/CMS/737
3. CDC, "Flu Vaccines" - https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines/index.html