Saskatchewan vaccine rates remain low, lack of trust high

Saskatchewan vaccination uptake is still among the lowest in the country, despite the introduction of vaccine passports and the return of mask mandates in recent weeks.

Dr. Kevin Wasko, the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s physician executive for Integrated Rural Health, said some areas of the province have vaccination rates as low as 50 or 60 per cent. The latest figures from the provincial government appear below.

The far southwest and far north regions of the province have some of the lowest uptakes recorded, with the southeastern parts of the province also low in vaccines. Comparatively, Wasko said areas like Swift Current, Moose Jaw and Yorkton have good uptakes.

Some of the best vaccination rates are recorded in the suburban areas of Regina and Saskatoon, while core neighbourhoods in these cities have a much lower uptake.

Wasko said there are multiple reasons for this.

“There are some people out there who are saying that they don’t yet trust the vaccine. They truly are hesitant and that exists everywhere,” Wasko said.

He said mistrust — in the vaccine, the medical community and the government — are especially prominent in rural areas, though the reasons for lack of trust in these areas might vary depending on the region.

“I think that that is contributing,” he said. “I think the mistrust of government in some of our rural areas isn’t unique to COVID, but I think that has extended to affect this.”

To repair those relationships and have a chance at improving vaccine uptake in the province, Wasko said it’ll take local champions getting the message out and having difficult conversations.

Wasko encouraged vaccinated Saskatchewan residents to have open and non-judgmental conversations with their friends, family and neighbours, sharing their own experiences with vaccination and dispelling misinformation.

“(The message should be) really that there’s not some underlying ill intent in trying to get people immunized but that it is the right thing to do and that we will get back our lives at some point again if enough of us can get vaccinated,” Wasko said.

Every Saskatchewan resident has a role to play in building trust and spreading the word, Wasko said. Hearing information from a trusted source and an empathetic ear could go a long way towards the gentle push many might need to roll up their sleeves.

The situations also foster understanding, he explained. For some, day-to-day difficulties might simply be getting in the way of prioritizing vaccination.

“For some people, it’s not on their radar as a priority,” Wasko said. “Be patient and try to understand where they’re coming from. What is it that they don’t trust?”

When people feel as though they’re being heard and their information is coming from a trusted source, it’ll do much more good and result in a more positive outcome.

“I take care of people sick with COVID and see the impact and it is frustrating,” Wasko said. “And some of that does get put on to the people that aren’t vaccinated, but it’s really not going to help anything.”