The amount of information about COVID-19 can be overwhelming. We know that, unfortunately, some people are taking advantage of fears and confusion and scamming people with phone calls. Currently making the rounds are callers claiming to be enrolling people in vaccine trials. Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) employees are not calling anyone in regards to vaccine trials. The vaccine that is now being administered to health-care workers in the province has already been granted approval. We will actively communicate with the public as the vaccine rollout takes place in the coming weeks and months.
When someone from the SHA phones, they will identify themselves as calling on behalf of the SHA. The call might come from a blocked number because we have extra callers from other Saskatchewan government services and federal STATS Canada services working to get your results to you as quickly as possible, and to educate and monitor individuals to slow and stop the spread of COVID-19. These callers have all been trained, are working under the direction of the SHA, and are held to the same standards as our own staff.
In order to help verify your identity, we may ask you for your birthday or your Saskatchewan health card number. That information ensures we are sharing personal health information with the appropriate individual, and is not used for any other purpose. Please be very careful about personal information you give out over the phone, especially if they are asking for your social insurance number – we will never ask for your SIN or any financial information.