More than 31,000 3rd COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Sask.

There have been 31,580 COVID-19 vaccine doses given out in Saskatchewan beyond the two doses required to be considered fully vaccinated, according to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health. 

As of Thursday, 31,067 third doses had been administered, as well as 513 fourth vaccine doses, the ministry said in an email.

The database that tracks vaccination doses doesn't record why someone is receiving an extra dose, but the ministry said extra doses could be administered for a variety of reasons, ranging from travel to boosters for immunocompromised individuals. 

The province originally announced in mid-August that people with mixed vaccine types would be eligible for a third shot, in order to allow them to travel to countries that require two doses of the same vaccine type.

The province announced later that month that additional doses would be made available to eligible groups starting Sept. 7, including residents of long-term care and personal care homes, transplant recipients, and people receiving active treatment (chemotherapy, targeted therapies, immunotherapy) for malignant hematologic disorders.

COVID-19 in the province

Despite the province's report on Friday that 80 per cent of the eligible population had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the province is just below that mark, at 79.72 per cent.

A little more than 71 per cent had received two doses of the vaccine. 

As of Thursday, Saskatchewan is the province with the highest rate of average cases over the past seven days, at 279 cases a day per 100,000 people, according to the Canadian government. The province is only exceeded by the Northwest Territories (348 cases per 100,000).