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聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 With cooler weather contributing to illness, Saskatchewan residents are encouraged to be vaccinated to prevent influenza.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Health officials are reminding residents it鈥檚 not too late to get a flu shot as influenza activity picks up across Canada and Saskatchewan, according to a release from the Ministry of Health.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e have seen an increase in influenza cases in the last couple of weeks, and we expect flu activity will continue through March,鈥� said Dr. Saqib Shahab, Saskatchewan鈥檚 chief medical health officer. 鈥淚 encourage everyone to get a flu shot if they haven鈥檛 already. This season鈥檚 vaccine is a good match for circulating strains, including H3N2.鈥澛�

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 A total of 590 influenza cases were confirmed in Saskatchewan between September and January 7, with a spike of 175 cases during the last week of December.聽

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The flu vaccine is recommended for anyone six months and older, and is especially important for seniors, children, pregnant women, and people with chronic health conditions or compromised immune systems, who are the people most at risk of serious illness from influenza.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The publicly-funded flu vaccine is free and available from many pharmacies across the province, as well as at physician鈥檚 offices or health clinics. Pharmacists can only immunize adults and children nine years of age and older who have a valid Saskatchewan health card, so children under nine need to be vaccinated at a public health clinic or physician office.聽

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Those who wish to find more information on public health clinic schedules may check the health region website, call a local public health office or call HealthLine.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 A list of pharmacies that provide the free flu shot may be found on the Pharmacy Association of Saskatchewan website.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 As of December 31, an estimated 238,830 flu vaccine doses were administered in Saskatchewan. A total of 64 per cent of these vaccines were administered by public health nurses and other providers, and 36 per cent were by pharmacists.聽