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Alberta scales back COVID-19 vaccines, leaving most Albertans to pay out of pocket
FORT MCMURRAY, AB. — The Alberta government is ending free COVID-19 vaccinations for most residents this fall, forcing many to cover the full cost of protection against the virus for the first time since the virus emerged.
Only a narrow list of high-risk groups, including seniors in care, immunocompromised individuals and those on social supports, will continue to receive free vaccines through public health clinics. Healthy seniors, children and working adults will be expected to pay out of pocket, with each dose estimated at $110. For a family of four, the cost will exceed $400.
The vaccine will no longer be offered at pharmacies either, and will only be available through a limited number of public clinics. Pre-ordering is required, beginning August 11.
The province claims the shift is about reducing waste after more than one million doses were discarded last year. That represented 54 per cent of Alberta’s vaccine supply and a loss of an estimated $135 million. Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said the new approach aims to “better align supply with demand” and manage costs now that Alberta is responsible for purchasing its own vaccine supply.
Critics, however, say the move amounts to a quiet privatization of pandemic protection and punishes Albertans for the government’s mismanagement. They argue that cutting off free access to routine vaccinations is short-sighted and could leave thousands unprotected if they cannot afford to pay.
Under the new four-phase rollout, free vaccines will be initially reserved for those in supportive living and home care. Later phases expand to select immunocompromised groups and finally to seniors over 65, who will still be required to pay full price. The general public, including children and pregnant women, will be last in line and fully responsible for the cost.
Roughly 485,000 doses have been ordered for the entire province this fall, which far fewer than in previous campaigns. The actual price tag per vaccine is still being finalized, but the province expects to recover much of the cost from the public as more groups are phased out of coverage.
Albertans can begin pre-ordering their vaccines online starting on August 12, with appointments expected to begin in October. The province is urging people to consult with their family doctors, though for many, the question is no longer medical; it is financial.
Meanwhile, both Health Canada and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been tracking a highly virulent strain of COVID emerging from the Southern States. Critics of the new Alberta policy argue that the cost of treating Covid patients in hospital far exceeds the cost of providing the vaccine.
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