REGINA — The provincial Health Ministry said it has partnered with three other agencies and twice run a campaign promoting the importance of getting the flu shot this fall. The Opposition, however, said it was not enough and demanded that an emergency public awareness campaign be relaunched to stress the importance of vaccinating residents against the flu, as recent Health Canada data shows widespread influenza activity across all health regions.
The government has partnered with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), the Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority and Indigenous Services Canada to promote flu vaccination, they said, with the first round of the campaign running in October and the second from mid-November to early December. In addition, medical health officials, including Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab, have been speaking with media outlets in recent days to encourage flu vaccinations.
The SHA’s Community Respiratory Illness Surveillance Program (CRISP) report shows that in the past month, positive influenza cases increased from 13.5 per cent in the week ending Nov. 22 to 40.1 per cent in the week ending Dec. 13 — the highest in the province since the start of the flu season and surpassing the same period in the past two seasons. The CRISP report also showed severe influenza cases — hospitalizations, ICU admissions and outbreaks — have all increased, with one reported death.
Since Aug. 24, 2025, the CRISP report has recorded 2,245 influenza detections, with almost all — 2,228 cases — involving the A strain. Among subtyped influenza A detections (345), influenza A (H3N2) accounted for 67 per cent (230) of detections. In the current week, nearly half of the cases (48 per cent) were among individuals aged 0-19 years.
The SHA said about 20 per cent of Saskatchewan’s population has received flu vaccines, while 13 per cent has received COVID-19 vaccines. Officials continue to encourage residents to book an appointment or visit their local clinic or pharmacy to get the flu vaccine.
Mayfair Drugs in Saskatoon said residents can book appointments, but they also accept walk-ins for flu vaccination from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and about 100 people have received the flu vaccine since the pharmacy began administering it on Oct. 15. Another local pharmacy in the city said it does not require appointments and that people can walk in to receive their flu shot.
The government said flu vaccination numbers in Saskatchewan are consistent with last year, when 18.8 per cent of residents were vaccinated from mid-November to early December in 2024, rising to 19.8 per cent during the same period this year.
“Although the overall provincial influenza immunization coverage is 19.8 per cent, immunization coverage among individuals at increased risk is higher. For example, those aged 65 and older have coverage of 51.2 per cent. All Saskatchewan residents aged six months and older can get a free influenza vaccine every year,” the Health Ministry said in a statement sent to SaskToday.
However, Saskatchewan NDP Shadow Minister for Health Meara Conway accused Premier Scott Moe and Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill of staying silent on the issue and called for government action, noting Saskatchewan is among the areas with the highest spread in the country and that the vaccination rate remains as low as one in five.
The Opposition said rising flu cases come amid reports of overrun hospitals, especially in Saskatchewan’s four major cities, over the holidays. Emergency tracking documents leaked to the Opposition showed some patients were spending three days or more in emergency rooms to receive proper care.
“Health care in Saskatchewan has never been in this bad of shape — one thing we can do right here and right now is take steps to bolster prevention so we can take pressure off hospitals and health clinics. I am urgently calling on [Premier] Moe and the [government] to launch an immediate, more active public awareness campaign on the benefits of the flu shot. Our vaccination numbers are brutal right now — this is the provincial government’s job, and they should be doing it, regardless of the holiday season,” said Conway.
Saskatchewan was the only province with widespread influenza activity — the most severe rating — in all of its health regions, according to data published by Health Canada on Saturday, Dec. 13. New data from the federal health agency is expected early in the new year. Data published in late November showed that only 20 per cent of Saskatchewan residents had received their seasonal flu vaccine this year. The influenza A strain, which caused the recent deaths of three children in Ottawa, is present throughout North America, with mostly elderly people and young people affected.
“This can be a matter of life and death — influenza is no joke. I get that it’s the holidays, but all is not calm, all is not bright — so the government needs to stop being silent. I am also continuing to call for an emergency plan to ease the chaos in our hospitals. We see evidence that Saskatchewan people are being failed on health care every hour of every day. Where the heck is this government?” Conway added.
The government confirmed that flu cases are up in Saskatchewan, but said they are also rising across the country. As of Saturday, Dec. 13, widespread influenza activity was reported nationwide, including 11 regions throughout Saskatchewan and the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.
The Health Ministry has advised the public to stay home when sick to protect others from respiratory infections, wash hands regularly with soap and water, use alcohol-based sanitizer when needed, cover coughs and sneezes, and clean and disinfect surfaces regularly.
The SHA said residents can call HealthLine 811 for more information on symptoms of respiratory illness or when to seek care. Officials also reminded residents that flu shots remain available. The Saskatchewan NDP, meanwhile, is continuing public consultations on health-care reform through YourCareYourSay.ca.
