Saskatchewan’s flu shot campaign started Oct. 11 and as of Jan. 31, only 27 per cent of the population had received the influenza shot.
Kingsley Chukwu at Pharmasave’s Riversdale Pharmacy said people just aren’t as enthusiastic about it as they used to be.
“I think the reasoning is because they’re probably tired of vaccinations. We’ve had COVID vaccinations since 2020, you know people have had multiple vaccinations, so it’s kind of people are like ‘I’m not doing this anymore’,” said Chukwu.
While the results of the CRISP report show only a two-per cent increase from the last reporting period, it is a 10-per cent decrease compared to one year ago.
Positive flu tests were still lying below the two per cent threshold, sitting at one per cent.
“We do have lower vaccine coverage rates this year compared to at the same time last year,” said deputy chief health officer Dr. Julie Kryzanowski. “It’s also a bit lower than the preceding year of about the per cent lower than in that 2021 season.”
The government reported that 61 per cent of those who received the flu shot are 65 and older.
“The older people are getting more vaccinations,” said Chukwu. “I don’t see much difference from this year to last year. There might be a little bit, but I didn’t really check the details.”
Kryzanowki said that even though flu season is almost over, the public is still encouraged to keep up with their vaccinations.
“This week we did see the first detections of influenza B in the province, which is a typical pattern,” Kryzanowski said.
During an average year, Canada sees a wave of influenza A in the beginning of the winter months. The mass waves of sick children and adults that occurred in November were most often victims of influenza A.
Influenza A is typically followed by influenza B around February and March.
“Influenza B tends to be less severe in terms of the symptoms that it produces and also in terms of the deaths associated with influenza,” said Kryzanowski.
She said that this is more common in children, but everyone should be up to date.
“At this point in time I would be recommending (vaccinations) especially for anyone who is planning to travel outside of Canada, there continues to be influenza circulation year-round.”
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