Kenneth Brown
of The Crossroads
Health officials in Saskatchewan have launched their annual immunization campaign for seasonal influenza, and walk-in clinics are starting to take place.
Several walk-in immunization clinics have already taken place in the west central region since the beginning of the week. The official launch of the immunization campaign was Oct. 22. People are encouraged to get the flu shot to protect themselves and others.
“Vaccination is the vest way to protect yourself and your loved ones this influenza season,” Dr. Julie Kryzanowski, senior medical health officer for the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), said on Monday. “The influenza vaccine is free and it’s recommended for all adults and for children six months of age or older.”
Future clinics will take place in the region on Nov. 7 in Abbey, on Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 in Biggar, on Nov. 5 in Burstall, on Oct. 30 in Cabri, on Oct. 31 in Denzil, on Nov. 16 in Dodsland, on Nov. 5 in Eatonia, on Nov. 2 in Elrose, on Nov. 6 and Dec. 10 in Eston, on Oct. 29 in Fox Valley, on Nov. 8 in Harris, on Nov. 20 in Kerrobert, on Oct. 29, Nov. 26, Dec. 17 and Jan. 14 in Kindersley, today and on Nov. 16 in Kyle, on Oct. 30, Nov. 13 and 20 in Leader, today in Lucky Lake, on Nov. 8 in Luseland, on Oct. 29, Nov. 13 and Dec. 4 in Macklin, on Nov. 8 in Milden, on Nov. 16 in Plenty, on Oct. 31, Nov. 14 and 22 in Rosetown, on Nov. 20 and Dec. 7 in Unity, and on Nov. 21 in Wilkie.
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People could visit www.4flu.ca for times and locations for clinics in their communities. Kryzanowski said the vaccine has been publicly funded in recent flu seasons and with flu shots being made available for free, health officials have seen a slight annual increase in uptake.
Kryzanowski said the vaccine is available at select pharmacies across the province, and also at the offices of physicians and nurse practitioners. She said the SHA is working with its partners to ensure people have access to clinics where they live.
She noted that the vaccine decreases people’s chances of being infected by seasonal influenza. The vaccine is developed each year to protect people from the type A and B influenzas in circulation across the country. Kryzanowski said getting a flu shot is the best way for people to project communities.
The medical health officer said people could help to prevent the spread of viruses such as influenza by washing their hands frequently, staying home if they feel ill and coughing into their sleeves and arms. She mentioned high-risk groups.
“The goal of the province is to increase uptake,” she said, recognizing the importance for people who are eligible to take advantage of the free flu shot. “The vaccine is particularly recommended for certain populations who are at high risk of complications for flu and these include people with underlying health conditions, people who are very young, so between six months and under five years of age, woman who are pregnant during the flu season as well as people who are caregivers to any of these populations.”
Kryzanowski said health officials strongly recommend the vaccine to any of the above high risk groups and their caregivers. She noted that not all clinics are walk-in clinics, so there are clinics that prefer people to register.
The health officer said people should read up on the vaccine at www.4flu.ca before they get the flu shot, especially if they have concerns. Kryzanowski said the process at clinics runs smoothly and people will be asked to stay for 15 minutes after they have been immunized.
People in Canada die each year as a result of complications from seasonal influenza, but the deaths often occur with people in high risk groups and it is why health officials stress to those groups to get the flu shot.
Kryzanowski said the province has a surveillance program for influenza and statistics collected from across Saskatchewan are included with national statistics. Deaths are reported each year. The vaccine is developed for current flu strains, Kryzanowski said.
“We do know that the vaccine that’s available is a match for the strains that are circulating currently,” she said, adding that it is hard to know what might happen through the season and officials still recommend the vaccine because “it can reduce the risk of becoming infected and reduce the risk of infecting others.”
Pharmacies located in Biggar, Kindersley, Leader, Macklin, Outlook, Rosetown, Unity and Wilkie are administering the shot in the region. People could contact health clinics to inquire about whether physicians are administering shots.
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