Most Albertans will have to pay for COVID-19 shots starting this fall, province says

Alberta's government says residents who are not immunocompromised or on social programs will soon have to pay to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The government says that since provinces began taking on responsibility for procuring the shots, it wants to cut down on waste.

It says an estimated one million COVID-19 vaccine doses, or just over half of Alberta's supply, were not used during the 2023-24 respiratory virus season.

It says that means $135 million worth of shots were wasted.

The government says it hasn't yet determined how much Albertans would pay, but an estimated cost to procure each vaccine is $110.

The province says it has ordered just under 500,000 of the vaccines for the fall and some of the estimated $49 million cost would be covered through taxpayers paying for their shots.

It says Albertans can "signal their intent" to receive the vaccine starting in August, with bookings to begin in October.

NDP health critic Sarah Hoffman said the province is taking the wrong approach.

"It's cruel for the UCP government to put further financial burdens on Albertans who want to protect their health and their loved ones and not get COVID," said Hoffman in a statement. 

"It's dangerous, it's callous, it's anti-science, and it's anti-public health."

Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Alberta, said the decision puts a particular strain on the province's most vulnerable. This includes those over 65, children and people who are pregnant.

"It has remained a really significant health-care issue … because there's still many people who are susceptible enough that they're becoming ill, significantly ill, coming into hospital," she said.

Saxinger said this new plan still lacks clarity on what immunization would look like for those who are considered high risk.

With multiple strains of COVID-19 emerging after the pandemic, she points out that it's difficult to predict how transmission of the virus could pan out every year. This means that it could put Albertans at risk in the future.

"The role of a really solid vaccination program not only protects the individual, it also protects the health-care system," said Saxinger.

"I'm quite worried that, given that a large group of the high risk people would have to pay out of pocket … that could have a really significant impact on health-care capacity."

In an email to CBC News, Nicholas Janveau with the Public Health Agency of Canada said provinces and territories are ultimately responsible for determining all aspects of their immunization programs.

He said that while the federal National Advisory Committee of Immunization can make recommendations regarding publicly funded vaccine programs at a provincial level, they are only advisory.

"Provincial and territorial governments consider NACI advice, but determine their vaccination program and policies (e.g., which vaccines are publicly funded vs. paid for by the individual, schedules, vaccine eligibility, etc.) based on their unique circumstances (e.g., epidemiology)."

Premier Danielle Smith addressed the plan on her call-in radio program, Your Province, Your Premier, on Saturday. 

She told host Wayne Nelson that by providing vaccines at public health centres only, the government can negotiate to keep the prices for the vaccines as low as possible. 

"We want to avoid wastage, we want to make sure people get it as a priority who are most at risk, and then make it available to whoever else wants it," she said.