Flu clinics to start Oct. 19

New Co-op Home Centre taking shape

Photo 1331 — Greg Nikkel Prairie Sky Co-op’s new Home Centre is taking shape at its location adjacent to the Crossroads truck stop at the intersection of Highways 13 and 39. A worker was preparing this area for paving of the parking lot on Friday, as work crews were busy inside both of the buildings that will comprise the Home Centre. The new facility will replace the current Home Centre on Hill Avenue, and is slated to be open by the spring of 2021.

SHA Influenza clinics set to kick off on October 19

By Sabrina Kraft

The upcoming Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) influenza clinic campaign is set to kick off on Monday, Oct. 19.

The vaccine is free and is recommended to everyone six months and older but is particularly important for people at high-risk of influenza complications. There will be some additional guidelines in place at this year, to help reduce the risks of COVID-19.

“This year is definitely a very different situation, so we are certainly working hard to make sure that the influenza vaccine will be widely available,” said Jacqui Kennett-Peppler, executive director of Primary Health Care for the SHA. “Our goal for the integrated rural is to have every health care encounter be an opportunity to be immunized or help get directed to where they can be immunized.”

The Saskatchewan Health Authority has all the influenza clinic information online at www.4flu.ca. “That would really direct people to where the closest clinic or opportunity really is,” said Kennett-Peppler. “In previous years, public health clinics have been mainly mass clinics, this year we will have to be very mindful of the public health order (for COVID-19) and our traffic flow to ensure that people can be properly social distanced in those settings. We are asking for our community members to come prepared by wearing a mask, and if they don’t have a mask then one will be provided.”

“People just need to be very mindful and be patient, that if there is a line at the clinic that they are properly social distancing themselves,” said KennettPeppler. This is especially true for some locations that might not have large sites. “Our communities have been really good at following the COVID-19 guidelines that are already in place, so we are hopeful that continues at the clinic sites.”

A variety of health

care encounters will be available, including traditional influenza clinics, pharmacists, physicians, nurse practitioners, home care providers and acute care sites. At the SHA influenza clinics, the traffic flow measures will ensure that there is not an excess amount of people at the different stations at the clinics. “We also ask if any of our community members are ill with influenza symptoms, that they call the HealthLine at 811 and are directed to the most appropriate spot. We don’t want residents who have these symptoms to be coming through our clinics,” added Kennett-Peppler. The HealthLine is open 24/7, is confidential and free.

“We are anticipating there will be an uptake in the interest for getting the flu vaccine,” said Dr. Lanre Medu, Medical Health Office with SHA. “Our vaccine supplies are ready to roll out for the upcoming clinics, so that we can make the vaccine widely available as possible.”

The province is prepared, so if the vaccine requests are over and above what was needed in previous years, there is a relay in place to bring in more vaccines.

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