Saskatchewan's annual fall immunization campaign opened Tuesday, offering influenza and COVID-19 vaccines to all residents six months of age and older, according to 650 CKOM.
Dr. Vivian Onaemo, a medical health officer with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, said the province is already detecting flu cases, though the numbers remain low at this stage of the season.
Her advice to residents was direct: seek protection before respiratory viruses circulate widely rather than after. She encouraged people to get vaccinated early and to urge family members and loved ones to do the same.
Why it matters
Onaemo described the flu season in Saskatchewan as a long one, typically running from October through April, with periods of higher and lower activity along the way. She said surveillance systems track cases as they arrive, but it is too early to predict how severe the season will be.
She noted that influenza and COVID-19 can cause serious illness, including hospitalizations and some deaths, which is why the health authority is urging broad uptake of both vaccines.
Kevin Kapell, provincial director of provincial primary healthcare with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, said the shots matter most for people at higher risk of severe outcomes. That group includes older adults, young children, people with underlying health conditions, pregnant people and those who care for vulnerable individuals.
Low uptake last season, and a push to improve access
Onaemo said that in 2025, roughly 20 per cent of Saskatchewan's overall population received an influenza vaccine, and the share who got a COVID-19 shot was even smaller. Uptake was stronger among residents over 65, with about half in that age group receiving the flu vaccine and 40 per cent getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
To close the access gap, the health authority is promoting awareness of the campaign and running mass immunization clinics in several Saskatchewan cities. Residents can also be vaccinated at participating pharmacies and at doctor or nurse practitioner clinics.
In Saskatoon, Circle Drive Alliance Church will serve as a mass immunization clinic for the next three weeks.
Onaemo said the vaccines are free for all residents six months and older. To reach people outside the major urban centres, the health authority has supplied vaccines to public health centres and nursing stations in First Nations communities. An online booking platform is also available for appointments.
On the question of receiving both shots at once, Onaemo said there is no clinical advantage to getting them simultaneously, but the option exists for convenience so people can avoid a second trip. She said the choice is voluntary — residents may take either vaccine or both.
First Nations outreach and shared responsibility
Dr. Ibrahim Khan, a regional medical health officer with Indigenous Services Canada, said it is important for people to keep track of their own vaccination status and that of their families and those around them.
He pointed to the approaching winter months, when people tend to gather indoors, as a reason for caution. Khan said multiple vaccines are available this season and described them as highly protective for individuals, families and wider communities.
Khan oversees 49 communities in south-central Saskatchewan, in areas around Saskatoon, Fort Qu'Appelle and Kamsack. He said First Nations communities receive information through nurses, doctors and other health-care providers, as well as through town halls and social media, with First Nations sharing information within their own communities.
Onaemo thanked health-care teams, community partners and others across the province for making the campaign possible, saying the collective effort can help keep Saskatchewan healthier through fall and winter.
What to watch: whether uptake improves over last season's figures as clinics, pharmacies and First Nations health services roll out appointments across the province in the coming weeks.
