FORT QU'APPELLE— Saskatchewan is currently dealing with a widespread case of influenza, which is causing spikes in one hospital's emergency department.
The province’s recent Community Respiratory Illness Surveillance Program reported 1,420 positive lab tests for influenza between Dec. 14-20, 2025.
This outbreak has led the All Nations' Healing Hospital (ANHH) in Fort Qu'Appelle to see an uptick in ER department visits and cases of influenza.
“In our surveillance data that we've collected in our ERs and hospital area, we're seeing a 53.2 per cent positivity rate for influenza just in December,” said Gail Boehme, executive director of ANHH.
The 53.2 per cent is higher than the Nov. 30 and Dec. 13 data in the province, where roughly 40 per cent of people tested positive for influenza.
Boehme said patients have been coming from Regina, Melville and local areas to get faster treatment.
“They don’t want to wait or expect to have a longer wait time elsewhere.”
Patients at the ANHH spend three hours in the ER department between entering and leaving.
As flu shots for influenza date back nearly 100 years, Boehme said the outbreak is surprising.
Although she noted that data suggest non-First Nations communities aren’t doing well in vaccine uptake, while First Nation communities are.
“I'm not sure what the difference is. Whether it's accessibility of campaign awareness to primary care and the health authority.”
Boehme hopes this will be a sign for communities to start getting their vaccine for better protection.
She expects the outbreak to continue into February.
Boehme encourages anyone dealing with the virus to call the 8-1-1 healthline for the best advice and information.
