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By Teena Monteleone

Health officials reminding parents about scheduled immunizations

Jun 4, 2020 | 8:00 AM

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is encouraging parents, of both pre-school and school-aged children to ensure their regular immunizations are kept up to date in the midst of COVID-19.

In an email to paNOW, the SHA said parents can contact their local public health office to make an appointment since drop-in clinics have not yet resumed due to restrictions caused by the pandemic.

“The SHA wants to assure clients that precautions are being taken to ensure the safety of patients and staff,” the email read. “The precautions include pre-screening prior to appointment. Staff members are also screened daily and will be wearing a mask during [the] visit.”

The Saskatchewan Ministry of Health has a recommended immunization routine schedule that starts at two months of age all the way up to 65 years and includes free inoculations for measles, mumps, hepatitis B, pertussis and human papilloma virus among others. As per the schedule, four to six-year-olds and students in Grades 6 and 8 were due for vaccinations at school this year.

“Now that things are stable and we are going ahead with the Re-Open Saskatchewan [Plan] and resumption of services, we have been very actively going after all the kids who were meant to have completed their immunizations, but haven’t,” Dr. Khami Chokani, medical health officer and public health physician with the SHA in Prince Albert, said.

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He said getting immunized on time and on schedule ensures a child has protection against several serious and contagious preventable diseases and also helps contribute to herd immunity that offers protection for those who are more vulnerable.

“Measles for example, we need to have 95 per cent of the people in the community immunized. When it is below that, we have outbreaks,” Chokani said.

Within what was the former Prince Albert Parkland Health Region, the immunization rate for kids who received at least one dose of the measles vaccine by the age of two was 86.7 per cent as of this past April and by the age of five years it was 93.9 per cent.

Chokani said regardless of why someone misses a scheduled routine vaccination, it’s important to catch up on immune boosters no matter your age.

“And, even if you do get your immunizations, you need to remember all the things we’ve done to keep COVID-19 down – social distance and wash your hands,” he said.

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teena.monteleone@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TeenaMonteleone