Albertans can start pre-ordering paid COVID-19 shots after June policy shift

Albertans can begin pre-ordering COVID-19 shots for the fall after a recent policy shift.

Those looking to get vaccinated will still need to book an appointment, and most will have to pay more than $100 to get it.

Premier Danielle Smith’s government announced the policy shift in June.

Smith has said $135 million was “flushed down the drain” last year, with doses wasted in part because Albertans are increasingly choosing not to get them.

The premier has also cast doubt on how well the COVID vaccine works, while still covering the costs of it for some, including those with compromised immune systems.

The policy, rolled out in four phases, begins with seniors in supportive living having access to the vaccine first and for free. Shots in the second phase will be available for those with underlying health conditions for free.

The final two phases are when people will need to pay the full cost, with phase three being for Albertans 65 and older, and phase four for the rest of the province.

Public health experts have said the policy could introduce barriers to getting vaccinated and lead to higher costs for things such as hospitalizations and severe complications.

Alberta NDP’s Dr. Luanne Metz called the UCP government “anti-science, anti-vaccination, and anti-public health” by putting up barriers that could prevent residents from protecting their health.

She accused Smith of promoting false information by saying the vaccine doesn’t work.

“It does not totally prevent illness, but that is not the goal of it,” Metz said Monday.

“Just like flu vaccine doesn’t totally prevent flu, it makes it so you have less severe illness, there’s less absenteeism in the workplace, and fewer people get sick enough that they need hospitalization and fewer people die.”

The added costs to the health-care system of a poor public vaccination campaign mean a “very bad economic decision,” Metz said.

“It’s just to pander to their people,” she said, referring to anti-vaccination members of Smith’s United Conservative Party.

Maddison McKee, spokeswoman for Primary and Preventative Health Services Minister Adriana LaGrange, said the government is taking a “responsible” and “targeted” approach to COVID-19 immunization.

“The fall immunization plan is being finalized, and details — including the updated vaccination schedule, exact locations and administrative fee for COVID-19 vaccines — will be available soon,” McKee said in an email.

More information on COVID-19 in Alberta can be found on the provincial website.