Saskatchewan’s COVID-19 second dose strategy begins booking appointments on May 17

Saskatchewan residents aged 85 and older will be able to start booking their second COVID-19 vaccinations starting on May 17, launching the provincial second shot strategy which could be done as quickly as the end of July.

During a COVID-19 update last Thursday, the province announced the second dose strategy will follow the same age-priority strategy of the original plan.

“Getting a second dose of any vaccine isn’t something that most of us have had done since we were kids, but in this case getting a second dose is critical to getting the very best protection again COVID for our province. We are nearly the end of this thing, and every single one of us needs to finish this fight,” explained Saskatchewan Health Authority CEO Scott Livingstone.

“After 14 long months we are finally moving past the point just controlling COVID-19. We’re now in a position we can beat COVID-19. But there’s only one way to do that, and that’s by everyone getting vaccinated.”

Saskatchewan’s COVID-19 vaccination program will experience an overlap over the coming weeks, with the vaccination program expanded to include residents 29 years of age as of Monday. This will result in the younger ages receiving their first doses while older priority residents will start their second doses before the end of the month. The second doses will occur within the recommended 16 week timeframe to be fully vaccinated.

“We’re going to make sure that it doesn’t impact the first dose, but there will be overlap just because we’re getting more vaccines in the middle of the month which will allow us to do both at the same time,” explained Health Minister Paul Merriman.

The province is aiming to start second doses at a 13 week interval, but with higher anticipated vaccine delivery the younger age groups will be experiencing a shorter wait period between their two shots.

“We’re going to move through that second dose quickly. We’re projecting about six to seven weeks will be our second dose timeframe from start to finish,” Merriman said.

Both the online saskatchewan.ca/ covid19-vaccine booking system, plus the telephone booking system 1-833-SASKVAX (1833-727-5829) which is operational between the hours of 8 a.m. and 11 p.m., will be booking for individuals 85 and over starting the morning of May 17.

Additionally, a series of Southwest pharmacies are now booking immunization appointments after being added to the list of participating locations following an initial pilot program primarily in Regina.

As of Tuesday, May 4, the following regional pharmacies were offering a limited number of vaccinations:

Assiniboia

Shoppers Drug Mart No. 433 - 424 Centre Street

Southland Co-op Pharmacy - 409 Centre Street

Gull Lake

Gull Lake Pharmacy3460 Rutland Avenue

Herbert

Harder’s Pharmacy604 Herbert Avenue

Leader

Leader Pharmacy- 100 1st Avenue W

Shaunavon

Jae’s Pharmacy Ltd. 335 Centre Street

Rx Drug Mart #3004 353 Centre Street

Swift Current

Drugstore Pharmacy No. 6705 - 1501 North Service Road E

Pharmasave No. 406 390 Central Avenue N

Pioneer Co-op Drugs #4 - 1150 Central Avenue N

Rexall No. 7301 - Central Avenue N

Shoppers Drug Mart

780

No. 2456

Avenue N

Wal-mart Pharmacy No. 3099 - 1800 22nd Avenue N.E.

All participating pharmacies are determining their own booking procedures. Details on pharmacy immunizations can be found at www.saskatchewan.ca/ covid19-pharmacies.

The province is also working on the details of student COVID-19 vaccinations in response to the federal governments approval of Pfizer Biontech vaccines for children aged 12 to 15. This strategy means approximately 91,000 young people can now be vaccinated. Detailed plans on the school based programs, including the parental consent process and eligibility are being finalized, public announcement, and communication from Public Health and School Divisions regarding administration of COVID19 vaccine will be come in advance of the program.

“We have had programs that have run in the elementary schools over the years with vaccinations, so we’re just transferring that same knowledge that we have in the Public Health vaccinations in the younger years to the older years. We’re going to work with the health people within education, and also complement that with our mobile clinics to go out there to reinforce it and we can get it done in a

- 911 Central very short time,” Merriman added.

And with Saskatchewan on pace to take Step One in the Re-open Roadmap after reaching 70 per cent mark of residents aged 40 an over receiving their first COVID-19 shots, Merriman explained the province wants those targets to trend higher.

“The higher the number the better it is for communities and for our families and for our livelihoods. So 70 is the threshold where we want to be able to determine when we can start removing some of the restrictions, but that doesn’t mean that’s the ceiling. We want to get up as high as 80 or 90 per cent.”

He said Saskatchewan residents can learn a lesson from seniors who are well above 80 per cent, with 88 per cent of the age 80 plus population and 86 per cent of seniors aged 70 to 79 already immunized. If all age groups achieve that the province would be doing extremely well in the battle against COVID.

“The second dose is absolutely critically important, but we wanted to make sure that we have a very balanced approach to opening things back up. That’s why we have our thresholds at that 70 per cent, and then wait for three weeks, so that first dose has time to take effect and get fully into your system. Then the same thing with Step Two.”

Saskatchewan’s Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab said health officials will also be carefully watching hospitalization rates and ICU admissions along with reaching the immunization benchmarks.

“Once we reach Step Three obviously we’ll be doing an assessment likely the early party of July about what our case numbers are and what are some of our hot spots, and based on that what further can be relaxed, especially around gathering sizes and indoor mask use.”

“Children under 12 are not independently social, so they are protected by high vaccine uptake in parents and siblings who are older. And the higher our first dose uptake is, and then basically our second dose uptake is, we more quickly can start relaxing public health measures.”

“If we start relaxing public health measures and we see a lot of people stop complying, I think we have all seen throughout Canada and even in Saskatchewan how quickly COVID can come back. I think we just need to recognize that and be patient with Public Health measures and do the things that we have been doing all along,” Dr. Shahab said. “It’s not an on/off switch, it’s like a dimmer switch. That as the dial for vaccine uptake goes higher we can start relaxing public health measures systematically.”