(Canadian Press)

By Dawson Thompson

SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS

Influenza vaccine available

Oct 19, 2020 | 12:28 PM

The influenza vaccine is now available to Saskatchewan residents and the provincial government is encouraging everyone to get it to help prevent the spread of influenza.

According to a media release from the Government of Saskatchewan, Dr. Saqib Shahab, Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer said getting a flu shot provides double protection — for yourself and for those close to you.

“It is a vaccine that is freely available, proven to be safe, and is particularly important this year during flu season as part of our ongoing efforts to mitigate the additional challenges to our provincial health care system from COVID-19. We encourage everyone to do their part to help keep Saskatchewan’s communities as healthy as possible,” he said.

During a press conference Monday morning, Dr. Tania Diener, a medical health officer in Regina said the influenza immunization will help keep focus on the fight against COVID.

“For influenza, we are fortunate we have a vaccine that can protect us, unlike COVID where we do not have a vaccine yet,” Diener said. “By increasing our influenza immunization coverage, we can protect our population and thereby avoid a ‘twindemic’ which would be a large number of people with influenza and COVID at the same time.”

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Adding to the conversation of the importance of the influenza vaccine this year, Dr. Kevin Wasko from Swift Current said the distribution of the vaccine will be a learning opportunity for a future COVID vaccine.

“In approaching this with an all hands on deck approach, where every health care encounter is an opportunity to be immunized for influenza, we can trial a new way to do things. So, when the COVID vaccine becomes available we can have a wide-spread response across the system,” Wasko said.

“That’s the big difference this year, we will make the influenza vaccine more available in more locations than what has been classically provided.”

Saskatchewan received 596,000 doses of the influenza vaccine which is a 36.5 per cent increase over previous years.

To manage the flow of patients, large clinics will be appointment-based flu clinics. It is recommended to call ahead and book your appointment to enforce physical distancing and follow Saskatchewan Health Authority protocols.

The Government of Saskatchewan encourages the public to go to www.4flu.ca to find an available local clinic. There are over 550 available in Saskatchewan.

As of Oct. 19, there is one clinic listed in Prince Albert, at Plaza 88.

Influenza shots will be available at clinics across Saskatchewan from Oct. 19 to Dec. 23.

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Dawson.thompson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: dawsonthompson8