'Get your vaccine': Sask. health minister aims to dispel vaccine misinformation

There are now four COVID-19 vaccines approved by Health Canada, and Saskatchewan's health minister says all are safe and that everyone should get one.  

Minister Paul Merriman addressed misinformation and hesitancy around the vaccines on Monday, saying the province will launch a media campaign on vaccine awareness around Easter time. Easter Sunday is April 4 this year.

"Get your vaccine. This is how we're going to get back to a place of normal," Merriman said. 

For those with health concerns, Merriman says to check in with their physician. 

"The best thing is to maybe to call your doctor to be able to see if the vaccine is certainly safe for you, which it is for the majority of people. But if somebody has some underlying health conditions, we want to make sure that they do check in with their family physician so they can get the green light from them," said Merriman.

"But the vaccine is safe ... So we're encouraging everybody to get out and get that shot in the arm as soon as their time comes." 

There have been reports of people working and living in long-term care homes who have refused to get vaccinated. Merriman says everyone has the right to decide for themselves. 

"But we want to make sure that anybody in the health-care system is prioritized. That's why we've done that. There are people that have refused it, but we do have well over 90 per cent uptake within our long-term care residents," Merriman said. 

"They see the value of this. And we're very hopeful that the people working with them do see the value of getting a vaccine, not just to keep themselves safe [and] their work-mates safe, but also at home."

Merriman says the province is not looking at implementing any action like suspension if a long-term care home worker refuses vaccination. 

"My major concern would be that the vaccination ... fake news, so to speak, is dispelled," said Merriman. 

"I want everybody to know that these are safe. We want people to get out and get vaccinated as soon as possible with whatever vaccine that is offered to them. We want people that have been vaccinated to talk about the process to other people so they know it's safe."

Merriman says if the province sees good uptake on the vaccines, it could lead the country in getting back to normal.