Flu shot shipments to be on time in Saskatchewan

There aren’t expected to be any delays or shortages of the influenza vaccine in Saskatchewan this year, despite uncertainty in some other provinces across Canada.

The Public Health Agency of Canada reported Wednesday that only “55 per cent of the total flu vaccine order is currently available to distribute to the country.”

In Manitoba, health care providers were notified about potential delays in the shipments of the vaccines due to manufacturer shortages. Other provinces were also expected to see delays.

However, Dr. Saqib Shahab, Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer, said Friday that the average person will not notice a difference.

He noted the only change this time around is that the province is receiving half of its vaccine shipment before the flu shot is available later this month and the other half in the weeks following.

“It’s a just-in-time shipping and receiving process and we don’t have that two- or three-week buffer — we usually ship it out two or three weeks in advance … but we hope that things will go smoothly and there should be no delays,” Shahab explained.

“People go to get vaccinated in the first three to four weeks of the vaccine program, and based on our best estimate, at this point, there should be no shortage.”

Because the province saw a jump in people getting vaccinated last flu season, Shahab noted the Ministry of Health increased its order to about 390,000 doses from its usual roughly 370,000 doses.

Starting Oct. 21, any Saskatchewan resident with a valid health card can get a flu shot at public health clinics, local pharmacies, or the offices of some physician and nurse practitioners.

— With files from the Canadian Press