Siksika Public Health

Oki! Siksika’s Public Health team promotes healthy behaviours and safe, healthy environments. The team keeps track of health trends, and responds to new public health threats, and works with Indigenous Services Canada to help prevent and control disease in Siksika Nation. The Public Health team is part of Siksika’s Community Health department.

To contact the Siksika Community Health team, please call the Health Hotline 403-734-5720 and leave a voicemail. A Community Health Nurse will ask some questions, assess your symptoms and/or concerns, and help determine the best care for you.

Hours of operation are 8:30am-4:30pm, Monday-Friday.

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Immunization Information for Siksika Nation

It’s important to stay on top of your immunizations through life. Parents & Guardians should ensure their children haven’t missed any; the ones most commonly missed are the 18 month and 4 year old vaccinations. Adults should be getting their tetanus vaccine every 10 years for optimal protection.

Maintaining The Schedule

There are scheduled vaccinations people should receive at different ages throughout life, beginning with infancy.

The newborn schedule is:

          ~ 2 months           ~ 4 months

          ~ 6 months           ~ 12 months

          ~ 12 months           ~ 18 months

          ~ Final dose given at age 4

Children will continue their schedule into adolescence. School aged children will receive vaccines in grades 6 and 9. These will be given while in school.

2024-25 Siksika Nation Immunization Clinics

This year’s Siksika Flu/COVID-19/Pneumonia clinic starts on October 15th, 2024. Flu, COVID-19, and Pneumonia vaccines will be available by walk in from 10am-7pm Monday to Friday between October 16th-October 30th. After October 30th, until the Christmas break, walk in hours will change to 10am-4pm Monday to Friday.

Siksika’s Flu/COVID-19/Pneumonia immunization clinic is located at Siksika Health and Wellness Center, accessible through the Clinic.

Getting vaccinated not only protects you from the Flu, COVID-19, and Pneumonia. If your vaccination prevents you from catching the illness, it also prevents you from spreading it to your family, friends, co-workers, and community. The more people who get immunized, the harder it becomes for these viruses to spread in our community.

Influenza & COVID-19

Influenza and COVID-19 can be serious illnesses for anyone, but some individuals are at greater risk of having a severe illness due to these viruses. These people include: the elderly; kids under 5 (flu only); individuals with chronic heart, lung, liver, or kidney disease; diabetics; and individuals receiving treatment that weakens their immune system.

Both the flu virus and COVID-19 mutate often, which can mean that vaccines received previously may be ineffective at preventing illness. Updated vaccines for both influenza and COVID-19 are offered at the beginning of flu season, usually around mid-October.

It’s recommended that anyone over 6 months of age receive yearly influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations.

Immunization Expected Side Effects

All vaccinations can have side effects, and people can be affected differently. This is because vaccines are intended to stimulate the immune system, and cause an immune response in the body.

After a vaccination, there is usually some soreness in the muscle that received the injection. In most cases this is the only side effect experienced after a vaccine. Side effects usually resolve with in a day or two. Tylenol or Advil can be used to manage these.

For questions about immunization on Siksika Nation, or if you would like to check if your child is due for a vaccine call

403-734-5616

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Book Your Appointment Today!

Phone: 403-734-5616

Clinic Reception: 403-734-5600

Fax: 403-734-3916

Measles outbreaks are occurring in Canada and the USA, likely due to decreased immunization rates following the COVID-19 pandemic. Measles is a very infectious airborne virus that can persists in the air for up to 2h. Measles symptoms include high fever, runny nose, red eyes, cough, head to toe red rash, and in severe cases, can lead to life threatening conditions like pneumonia and encephalitis.

Luckily, vaccinations provide life time protection to the virus. Kids under the age of 9 may have missed routine immunizations for measles due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Babies currently receive measles vaccinations at their 12 and 18 month immunizations.

Not sure about your immunity?
Please email CDC@siksikahealth.com with your request. Please include the legal names of everyone you would like checked and a phone # you can be reached at if needed. If you don’t have e-mail, please call 403-734-5720 and leave a message with your request.

Measles Symptoms:

  • Measles starts and feels like a cold; a runny nose, watery and irritated eyes, cough, and, fever, are common symptoms for the first 3-7 days.
  • After 2-3 days spots may start to appear in the mouth on the cheeks and roof of the mouth, followed by a rash of red spots that starts on the head and spreads to the rest of the body.
  • If you are sick and these spots do not appear, the illness is very unlikely to be measles.

Measles can also cause:

  • Ear infections
  • Diarrhea
  • Pneumonia
  • Encephalitis (swelling of the brain that can cause seizures, brain damage, and often death)

The most at risk are: children under the age of 5, adults over the age of 20, and individuals who are severely immunocompromised.

When NOT TO be concerned about potentially having measles:

  • Unless there is an active outbreak on Siksika Nation, at your place of work or school, or you have been notified by public health that you have had an exposure to measles, it is extremely unlikely that you could catch measles.
  • If you have had measles before, or have had 2 doses of measles vaccine in your life, you are considered immune and it is extremely unlikely that you could catch measles.

When TO be concerned about potentially having measles:

  • If you have a cold, and have spots that form in your mouth about 2-3 days after your cold started, and/or a red spotted rash that started on the head and is spreading to the rest of your body.
  • If it is just a cold, or just a rash, it likely isn’t measles.
  • If you have been notified by public health that you are a contact of a positive measles case, and a cold develops that lasts longer than 24 hours between 5-21 days after your exposure, it may be the start of a measles illness.

What to Do if You Think You May Have Measles:

  • If you feel like you have a cold or flu, watch for the spots in the mouth or a rash of red spots that start on the head, and, if they appear, call Siksika Health @ 403-734-5720 to leave a message that will be sent to our nurses, or call 811 to speak with a public health nurse with AHS.
  • CALL FOR SUPPORT AND STAY HOME! DO NOT go to a doctor’s office, Siksika Health building, or hospital to be assessed unless directed to by the health agency. Measles is extremely infectious, and often can be a serious illness. By calling for help first, you allow health services to implement precautions to keep other people safe while you receive your care.
  • If you think you have measles and your situation is urgent and need help, call 911.
  • Follow guidance from a public health nurse or doctor regarding your illness.

What Should I Do to Protect Myself from the Measles?

If you know that you have had measles in the past, or know for certain that you have had 2 doses of measles vaccine or, are born before 1970, you are considered immune and do not need to do anything to protect yourself.

If you are born after 1970, or are unsure if you have had 2 doses of measles vaccine, check to see is you have had 2 doses of vaccine.

If you know you have not had 2 doses of measles vaccine, get vaccinated. Siksika Health Services can provide vaccinations, please email CDC@siksikahealth.com with your request. Please include the legal names of everyone you would like checked and a phone # you can be reached at if needed. If you don’t have e-mail, please call 403-734-5720 and leave a message with your request.

What Should I Do to Protect My Family?

  • Encourage adults to check their own vaccine status.
  • Ensure your children older than 18 months have had both doses of measles vaccines. Children currently can get their measles vaccines at 12 and 18 months of age.
  • If your children do not have 2 doses measles vaccine, or you are unsure if they have received both doses, you can call Siksika Community Health @ please call 403-734-5720 and leave a message with your request.
    • Kids 9 and under have the lowest rates of measles vaccine as vaccination efforts were disrupted during the covid-19 pandemic. Please ensure your child is up to date.
    • Infants under 1 year of age receive some immunity from their mothers if their mothers have been fully vaccinated.

Additional Measles Info:

Vaccines are extremely effective at preventing measles cases. Even one dose provides immunity 85-95% of the time, 2 doses provide immunity almost 100% of the time.

Measles is the most infectious virus known to impact humans.

The measles virus is airborne, and can remain in the air for up to 2h after the infected person has left the area. People entering that same space can catch the virus if they are susceptible.

Measles is a respiratory illness, that usually starts like a cold, and is characterized by a rash that occurs about 3-7 days after symptoms start.

Approximately 10-20% of measles cases require hospitalization.