(The CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan)

By paNOW Staff

VACCINE FATIGUE

New report reveals reasons behind vaccine fatigue in Saskatchewan

Oct 10, 2023 | 2:00 PM

As flu, RSV, and COVID vaccines roll out across the province this week, it seems many are hesitant to get their shots.

According to data from a survey conducted by Abacus Data and the Canadian Pharmacists Association, 39 per cent of Saskatchewan and Manitoba respondents don’t intend to get the flu shot this year. About 42 per cent said they won’t get the updated COVID-19 vaccine.

Just over 1,600 Canadians took part in the survey which also looked into the reasons for not wanting to get the flu or COVID vaccine.

About 55 per cent of respondents nationally said they don’t believe they need the shot with 17 per cent saying they don’t think the vaccines are safe.

Other reasons for not wanting to take the vaccines include allergic reactions, other negative side effects and fear of needles.

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When it comes to side effects, fears of severe reactions have also led many to forego the vaccines, especially for COVID-19.

However, Saskatchewan Health reported that as of Sept. 10, just over 1,300 adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine were reported to them of the almost three million doses administered. Only 102 cases were for serious reactions.

Nationwide, 57,436 adverse effects have been reported to the Public Health Agency of Canada, representing .058 per cent of all doses administered and .011 per cent were serious.

Martin Antaya is a pharmacist at a Pharmasave in Prince Albert and said he has heard a lot about vaccine hesitancy since COVID-19 shots were first rolled out.

“The last few years with the pandemic there’s been a real focus on vaccinations, and I think with that a lot of people have developed vaccine fatigue.”

Despite the hesitation and misinformation that has circulated regarding the vaccines, Antaya believes they continue to be one of the best ways to prevent communicable diseases from spreading.

“It’s not just for people that are high-risk. If we can get the larger community to get vaccinated, the safer it is for everyone else.”

Last year, the combination of flu, RSV and COVID-19 together, dubbed the ‘triple threat’ put significant pressure on emergency departments in Saskatchewan.

The most recent report on respiratory illnesses in Saskatchewan showed that as of Sept. 30, Influenza activity has increased but remains below the inter-seasonal two per cent test positivity threshold.

The province said that ‘Other’ respiratory viruses’ hospitalizations have increased to 115 over the last month with seven outbreaks reported in high-risk settings over the past two weeks.

As for COVID-19, the latest numbers showed 159 confirmed cases from Sept. 17-23, which is up from 123 the previous week and 67 at the end of August.

(Government of Saskatchewan)

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com