Alberta premier defends charging most Albertans for COVID-19 vaccines
EDMONTON – Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government's new policy forcing many Albertans to pay out of pocket for a COVID-19 vaccination is about focusing on those who need it the most.
Smith says $135 million got 'flushed down the drain' last year from doses wasted in part because of low vaccine uptake.
Her government will still pay for some, including for those who have compromised immune systems or are on social programs, to get shots.
Smith says she thinks low vaccination rates for COVID-19 in Alberta last year are because the vaccine 'doesn't work particularly well.'
The Opposition NDP says it's a cruel move to charge Albertans who want to protect their health and their loved ones.
Public health-care experts say fewer people will get vaccinated and it could lead to higher costs for things like hospital stays.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2025.
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Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy She pointed to higher influenza vaccination rates, pegged at 21 per cent last year, suggesting that COVID vaccines don't match the effectiveness of others, including for the measles. Alberta, which is grappling with a spike in measles cases not seen for almost 40 years, is falling well short of the 95 per cent immunization rate experts say is needed to protect the population. Smith's United Conservative Party government doesn't yet know the amount Albertans, including many seniors over the age of 65, will need to pay for a COVID shot. It estimates it could be $110 each. 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University of Calgary health law professor Lorian Hardcastle has warned of the potential extra costs to the health care system, and has said she worries that Albertans are getting the message that vaccines just aren't that important.
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