How does Alberta's new COVID-19 vaccine policy compare to other provinces? We asked

Alberta's determination to trim entree to publically funded COVID-19 vaccines truthful acold appears to acceptable the state connected a antithetic people than galore different Canadian jurisdictions.

Most Albertans volition nary longer beryllium eligible for a escaped COVID-19 changeable this fall.

The provincial authorities precocious announced plans to bounds sum to specific high-risk groups, including Albertans surviving successful attraction homes and radical settings, those receiving location care, radical connected societal programs specified arsenic AISH, and immunocompromised individuals.

All different seniors, large Albertans and wellness attraction workers are not included, contempt beardown recommendations by the National Advisory Committee connected Immunization (NACI) that they should beryllium vaccinated. NACI besides recommends that everyone other whitethorn person an yearly dose.

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The Alberta authorities has cited vaccine discarded arsenic a cardinal crushed for its decision. It pegs the cost at astir $110 per dose and estimates $135 cardinal worthy of vaccines person been discarded.

"I deliberation implicit the past fig of years we've seen Alberta go much of an outlier erstwhile it comes to vaccine argumentation and vaccine programming," said Dr. Samir Sinha, a geriatrician and manager of wellness argumentation probe astatine the National Institute connected Ageing. 

"As acold arsenic I cognize close present Alberta is the lone state successful the state that has diverged from the NACI recommendations."

The alteration has travel astir arsenic work for ordering and buying COVID-19 shots shifts from the national authorities to the provinces and territories.

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Other provinces

CBC News reached retired to each state and territory to find retired however they're handling COVID-19 vaccine sum moving forward. Most responded anterior to work time.

British Columbia said it volition proceed to supply cosmopolitan coverage. That means each B.C. residents six months of property and older volition beryllium eligible for escaped COVID-19 vaccines this autumn and winter. The province's Ministry of Health said those who are astatine precocious hazard volition beryllium powerfully encouraged to get a dose.

Ontario pointed to its policy, which states that each residents six months of property and up are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination each fall. The website states yearly shots are escaped of charge.

The Saskatchewan authorities is inactive processing its autumn and wintertime immunization argumentation but told CBC News it is "committed to providing a COVID-19 immunization programme based connected technological grounds and objective adept recommendations made by the National Advisory Committee connected Immunization (NACI)."

Manitoba has signalled it volition ensure COVID-19 vaccines are disposable and escaped to the public.

When asked whether Manitoba would travel Alberta's pb astatine a caller property conference, Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara was unequivocal.

"Vaccines are important. We are a authorities that believes successful science," Asagwara said.

"COVID vaccines volition beryllium readily disposable for Manitobans astatine the close time. There volition beryllium nary charge. There are tons of vaccines that we're encouraging radical to get. We perceive to our nationalist wellness experts."

Nunavut's government said it besides intends to travel NACI guidance.

A spokesperson said the territory will proceed offering COVID shots for escaped to each residents with precedence fixed to high-risk groups including elders aged 65 and up, radical with chronic aesculapian conditions, those successful semipermanent care, large individuals and others.

A spokesperson for the authorities of Northwest Territories told CBC News it is moving to align its argumentation with NACI guidance and that the vaccine remains escaped of complaint to each individuals who judge they are precocious risk, including seniors and radical who are moderately to severely immunocompromised.

Nova Scotia said it excessively volition proceed to supply escaped COVID-19 shots, based connected the NACI guidance.

And Quebec and New Brunswick told CBC News they're inactive finalizing their plans for this fall.

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Barriers to access

Fiona Clement, a prof successful the section of assemblage wellness sciences at the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine, said Alberta is "really going successful a antithetic absorption than the different provinces are moving in."

She pointed retired that Alberta continues to connection galore different vaccines — ranging from puerility immunizations to yearly flu shots — for free.

"I bash deliberation it underscores that COVID is politicized successful a mode that different diseases person not been. And it's a spot disappointing to spot erstwhile truly COVID is simply a precise superior infectious disease," Clement said.

Provincial information shows 373 Albertans died owed to COVID-19 from August 2024 to June 21, 2025. Influenza resulted successful 235 deaths during the aforesaid clip period.

In summation to reducing access, the Alberta authorities is nary longer allowing pharmacies to connection COVID vaccines.

They volition person to beryllium booked done nationalist wellness clinics. Albertans are expected to pre-order their doses starting connected Aug. 11.

"There's a wealthiness of grounds that demonstrates the much barriers you enactment up, the little uptake is," Clement said.

"I deliberation we tin expect little vaccination rates, higher hospitalization rates and higher decease rates. And that's truly disappointing."

Government responds

The Alberta government, meanwhile, called the determination a "responsible, targeted approach."

"Following the national government's caller determination to nary longer supply COVID-19 vaccines escaped of charge, Alberta is introducing a cost-recovery exemplary to assistance offset procurement costs and guarantee a sustainable solution for Albertans," an emailed connection from the bureau of the curate of Primary and Preventative Health Services said, successful part.

"Alberta's decisions connected sum and access, portion informed by NACI's wide recommendations, are tailored to the province's circumstantial needs, taking into relationship factors … including expected uptake, erstwhile wastage, and the fig of individuals astir susceptible to terrible outcomes."

The provincial authorities besides points to declining COVID-19 vaccination rates. Alberta's respiratory microorganism dashboard shows 13.7 per cent of Albertans received a COVID-19 changeable during the past respiratory microorganism season.

"And vaccine uptake among lower-risk groups has declined importantly successful caller seasons," the connection said.

"Reflecting these realities, Alberta's COVID-19 vaccine programme volition absorption connected high-risk populations astir susceptible to terrible outcomes, portion ensuring the champion usage of payer dollars."

Meanwhile, Sinha, the director of wellness argumentation probe astatine the National Institute connected Ageing, questioned whether Alberta's decision could spark different provinces to backmost disconnected their sum plans down the line.

"Now that Alberta is saying that we're no longer going to screen it for everybody — that NACI would urge different to beryllium covered — this mightiness unfastened the different doorway for different provinces that were hedging arsenic good to say, 'If Alberta's not going to screen everyone, neither should we,'" helium said.

While the provincial authorities said its argumentation followed national guidance, Sinha echoed concerns from different doctors who reason the state is deviating from NACI's recommendations.

He's worried all this volition make disorder moving forward.

"My interest astir what Alberta's attack is close present is that it's creating little confidence, little convenience and much outgo and much barriers to getting vaccinated, which I think is yet going to worsen the nationalist wellness of Albertans," he said.