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Flu shots are to be available in Saskatchewan next month.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority announced the start of its immunization campaign is set for Oct. 21.
“We can’t predict exactly when the influenza season will start or (when) influenza starts circulating in the province and the first illnesses are reported, but we do encourage people to be immunized for influenza early in the season so they can be protected,” said Dr. Julie Kryzanowski, a senior medical officer with SHA.
Kryzanowski said it’s important for everyone older than six months to get a shot. However, some people need it more urgently than others.
“We would like to see high coverage rates among children, adults over the age of 65 — especially those who live in long-term care facilities — and for health-care workers,” she explained.
The vaccine being offered this year protects against four strains of the influenza virus, including H1N1 and H3N2.
Kryzanowski noted the vaccine doesn’t guarantee 100-per-cent protection, but it does increase an individual’s ability to fight off the flu.
She said there haven’t been any severe cases of the flu since last winter, when 69 Saskatchewan residents were hospitalized. Of those, 13 died — including four children.
In 2017-18, there were 50 hospitalizations and 14 deaths in the province due to the virus.
Kryzanowski said 355,000 Saskatchewan residents were immunized against influenza last year, or about 30 per cent of the province’s population. That was up four per cent from the previous year.
She said statistics from last year showed about half of children in the province between the ages of six months and two years were immunized. Those numbers were 36 per cent for kids aged two to four, and about 25 per cent for children aged five to eight.
Only 53 per cent of Saskatchewan health-care workers got flu shots.
“That is a population that we could do more to increase the immunization rate,” Kryzanowski said.
She highlighted the importance of being especially careful before the vaccine is released. Hand-washing is a key component of that care.
“We recommend people stay at home from work or from school if they’re feeling unwell,” she said.
Public health clinics, pharmacies, and doctors’ offices will all carry flu shots.