Danielle Smith is gambling with the health and safety of Albertans with a new vaccine rollout plan.

Kelsie Johnston

Graphic by Forrester Toews

As the wind becomes colder and the leaves on the trees start to turn different colours, it’s not only the seasons that are changing in Alberta. 

In June, the Alberta government announced that they would be reworking their vaccine rollout for this year’s flu season. The changes, which will happen in two phases, will require Albertans to pre-order their vaccines and pay a $100 administrative fee for their COVID vaccine. 

While they have made exceptions for certain people, such as the elderly, health care workers, and the houseless, the fact that Albertans now have to pre-order these vaccines means that access will be extremely limited. To add to the barriers, the government has limited bookings to either via phone or via the internet. This already isolates the houseless population and may restrict many of the elderly. The $100 fee may also be either too much for some demographics, or just an unnecessary hurdle that Albertans won’t bother with. 

Last year, the Alberta government reported that only 21 per cent of Albertans received their influenza vaccinations, and only 13.9 per cent received their COVID-19 vaccine. This year, by limiting access to these vaccines, it appears as if the Government of Alberta is trying to deter even more people from getting vaccinated, instead of encouraging them to protect themselves from these illnesses. 

Premier Danielle Smith has stated that the reason for the change in the vaccine rollout is to prevent wasted vaccines. According to Smith, 54 per cent of COVID-19 vaccines from the 2023-24 season expired because people were not interested in getting the vaccine. Last year, the unused doses accounted for a loss that amounted to roughly $44 million.  

The way the new vaccine rollout seems to work in this case is to provide the government with data on how many people are showing interest in getting their vaccines. But despite the new pre-ordering system, the government has already purchased 485,000 COVID doses for this year, a vast reduction considering last year’s 742,901 administered doses.

The decision to have Albertans pay $100 for their COVID vaccine comes after the federal government made the provinces responsible for purchasing their own COVID vaccines. Alberta is the only Canadian province to not provide the vaccine for free. 

It also comes at a time when the Government of Alberta is expected to run a $6.5 billion budget deficit, a deficit that is up $10 billion from the one projected in the February budget. 

This year, Smith has been under a microscope when it comes to seemingly frivolous trips she has made across the border, such as her appearance alongside Ben Shapiro in Florida, which she claimed would help strengthen our ties with the US amid tariff threats. All these decisions bring up some questions. How exactly is the budget being used? Is it actually being used in the best interest of the people? 

I am not here to argue about the efficacy of vaccines. It is scientifically proven that they save lives. The World Health Organization estimates that vaccines prevent 3.5 to 5 million deaths per year. But the timing and the specifics around Smith’s decision to change the rollout system seem suspect, and set a dangerous precedent for the future of Alberta’s health care system. 

Not only do these decisions limit access to the pre-ordering system, but pre-ordering does not guarantee that you will receive the vaccine. After you place your pre-order, you can then expect to receive a text or email in October notifying you when you can book a vaccination appointment. Only then, when booking your appointment, will you be assessed for eligibility to receive the vaccine. 

For the 2024-25 season, a combined total of 652 Albertans died from either influenza or COVID. Since the risk of contracting and dying from these diseases can be significantly reduced by getting vaccinated, you would think that the main goal of the government would be to make the vaccines as accessible as possible for its people. 

However, the Alberta government seems to be going in the exact opposite direction. Rather than making sure people are able to protect themselves, the government has taken steps to make the process of getting a vaccine just complicated enough to deter people. And let’s not forget the $100 out-of-pocket expense they will incur. 

Given the deficit that the Alberta government currently finds itself in, it makes me wonder whether or not they could be spending their money a little better. 

By changing and limiting how Albertans get access to their seasonal vaccines, Smith is gambling with the health and safety of the people she was elected to protect. We are already seeing a higher number of deaths due to influenza because of a drop in vaccination rates. If the government continues to limit access to these vaccines, we can only expect that number to rise.