Saskatchewan’s Minister of Health Paul Merriman says the province’s low COVID-19 vaccination rate is an underestimation, despite data from the Public Health Agency of Canada showing otherwise.

       The most recent data compiled by the federal agency shows that Saskatchewan and Alberta each have a vaccination rate of 73 per cent among their eligible populations – the lowest among any other province or territory.

       But Merriman says he wouldn’t say Saskatchewan’s rate is the lowest.

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       He suggests it’s an underestimation because people have moved out of province and are getting their shots elsewhere, but their health records remain in Saskatchewan.

       He says it is resulting in skewed numbers – although he did not disclose by how much.

       Merriman says the health authority is looking into cleaning up the data.

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