The province’s deputy medical health officer says it was a very difficult decision to make, but the province has to severely restrict the availability of the flu vaccine.
Effective immediately, only children under the age of five and pregnant women will get the vaccine.
Dr. Denise Werker says the province has already administered about 280,000 flu shots, but now the vaccine is running out:
“And this has been very difficult for all of us, but the safety and wellness of our Saskatchewan population is what’s in our hearts.”
More vaccine will arrive next week and the situation is being closely monitored — but for now, the massive flu clinics that were being held around the province are being cancelled.
There have been nearly 600 confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu in Saskatchewan this flu season, resulting in seven deaths and 22 hospitalizations.