The province should protect its citizens from COVID-19 and other infectious diseases by leveraging a help-thy-neighbour morality rooted in rural Alberta, the NDP’s health critic says.
But instead the UCP have doubled down on an anti-science tack that jeopardizes the health of at-risk Albertans and doesn’t make long-term financial sense, Sarah Hoffman said in an interview last week.
Danielle Smith and her party have failed to use Alberta’s public health system to properly promote vaccinations, Hoffman said. With the current call for bookings for the latest COVID-19 vaccines, the government is taking another step backwards by making the jabs less accessible.
Widespread vaccination reduces the spread to those at risk, Hoffman said.
“I grew up in a really small town in northern Alberta, and the number one value I was taught there was take care of your neighbours. We're all one community, and we succeed and suffer collectively,” she said.
“I love those values. And those are, I believe, Alberta values.”
Hoffman’s comments follow the government’s announcement of the next round of COVID-19 shots, delivering the newest iterations of the vaccine into Albertans’ arms starting in October. Most Albertans who choose the shot will now pay an administration fee of $100.
Jabs will be available at health clinics but no longer at pharmacies. The admin fee will help cover the cost of the vaccine, which the federal government has stopped absorbing. Older versions aren’t available anymore.
In a statement emailed to The Gazette, the Ministry of Primary and Preventative Health Services said science and economics are on its side.
Says the statement: “Alberta’s decision to adjust the COVID-19 immunization program is grounded in responsible, evidence-based planning. Historically lower vaccine uptake, the need to align supply with actual demand, and the importance of reducing waste have all informed this approach.”
From 2023 to 2025 in Alberta, more than 1.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been discarded at a cost of nearly $180 million.
“With the federal government no longer providing COVID-19 vaccines, Alberta is now managing its own supply to ensure it is used where it has the greatest impact — protecting those at highest risk while maintaining a sustainable program,” says the statement.
The ministry said that “based on the latest guidance from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization,” universal COVID-19 vaccination is “not recommended.”
But the words “not recommended” aren’t used in the NACI’s actual guidance. It says most Canadians “may” get the jab, and higher risk groups “should” do so.
Included in the should category for at least one shot a year are all Canadians 65 or older. The province has decided, however, that only lower-income Albertans in the age group — those who receive the Alberta Seniors Benefit — get the shot for free, unless they qualify for some other reason.
Also eligible for a free COVID-19 jab are:
residents of continuing care homes and seniors supportive living accommodations
home-care clients
health-care workers
individuals six months of age and older with underlying medical conditions and compromised immune systems
individuals experiencing homelessness.
“Analyses from NACI, supported by similar studies from Canada, the U.K., and the U.S., show that vaccinating low-risk individuals, including healthy non-seniors and children, is unlikely to prevent enough severe illness or hospitalizations to justify the cost,” the ministry statement says.
Adriana LaGrange, the minister of primary and preventative health services, was not available for an interview. However, in the government press release announcing the rollout she’s quoted as saying: “We are striking a balance between protecting vulnerable Albertans and preventing vaccine wastage. We remain committed to ensuring Albertans who are at a higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 have access to vaccines.”
For the 2025-26 season, about 485,000 doses have been ordered to support the targeted COVID-19 immunization program. Last year, 13.7 per cent of Albertans received a COVID vaccination, the government release says.
Hoffman, the member for Edmonton-Glenora, believes the UCP was motivated by politics to make changes in the way Albertans get their COVID-19 vaccination shots. The premier’s initial announcement came in the lead-up to three provincial byelections, and the party needed to re-engage some of its base, she said.
“This is absolutely going to have a negative impact on the health and well-being of Albertans,” she said. “If they actually wanted to be responsible financial stewards of this province, they would make vaccines, which are about prevention, more readily available, and they would entrust public health officials to share that information with Albertans.”
She continued: “I still believe that vaccinations are an individual choice, but I feel like it's government's responsibility to lay out the facts and the evidence and make it as easy as possible for people who want to make that choice. And we're not getting that from Danielle Smith and the UCP.”
The ministry said that “charging for vaccines is not unusual in Alberta or across the country.” Shots to protect against respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, and shingles are publicly funded for higher-risk groups while other eligible adults can buy them.
“The same principle applies to COVID-19,” says the emailed statement. “By targeting publicly funded doses to those most vulnerable and allowing others to access vaccines for a fee, the program protects Albertans while maintaining a sustainable, responsible approach.”
RSV immunization is available to Albertans over aged 70 at no cost and to other Albertans for a charge. The flu vaccine remains free for everyone.
NACI updated its recommendation regarding the minimum interval between COVID-19 vaccine doses to three months from six to allow for better timing flexibility. Alberta is now following the three-month recommendation.
All Albertans can use the vaccine booking system at alberta.ca until Sept. 30 to register for COVID-19 immunizations. Those who pre-order will receive a text or email notification in October to book an appointment and confirm eligibility.
Those who don’t pre-order by Sept. 30 can still book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment once vaccines become available in October. Online booking also allows Albertans to look further ahead and pre-order for 2026-27.
