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Hamilton Spectator
20 hours ago
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Health-care unions calling for Alberta government to halt plan to limit free vaccines
EDMONTON - Two of Alberta's health-care workers' unions are calling on Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's government to reverse its policy forcing many — including front-line medical staff — to pay for a COVID-19 vaccination. Smith has said the aim of the new policy, announced last week, is to prevent wastage after some $135 million was spent on unused doses. Smith said her government is focused on protecting those who need it the most by giving them the COVID-19 shot for free. That includes those with compromised immune systems, those on social programs and seniors in a congregate setting. However, most Albertans, including health-care workers who don't fall into a high-risk category, and seniors who live independently, will have to pay out of pocket. 'We believe in vaccine choice, but we don't pay for everything,' the premier said last week. United Nurses of Alberta president Heather Smith called it a dangerous and outrageous decision, and warned it will drive even more health-care workers from the province. 'The government's claim that this is being done to save money and recover costs makes no sense from a moral or logical perspective,' Smith said in a statement. She added it will put thousands of Albertans seeking health care at risk when they are most vulnerable, along with endangering thousands of their caregivers. 'It is absolutely irresponsible to force health-care workers in both public and private workplaces to place orders in August and pay to receive a vaccine that is an essential component of workplace health and safety,' said Smith, whose union represents more than 35,000 nurses and allied workers. The province's policy shift comes after the federal government put provinces in charge of buying COVID-19 shots this year. The nurses union was joined by the Health Sciences Association of Alberta, representing 30,000 health-care workers, in calling on the government to continue providing free COVID-19 vaccines this fall. 'That is how we protect patients, reduce hospitalizations, and keep our health system strong,' said union vice-president Leanne Alfaro. Alfaro said COVID-19 continues to put vulnerable Albertans at risk and vaccines remain the most effective tool for protecting individuals and the broader health system, including staff. 'They should not be expected to put themselves in harm's way without basic protection,' she said in a statement. Smith's United Conservative Party government has said it hasn't been determined how much Albertans would pay, but it has estimated the cost to procure each shot is $110. Routine influenza vaccines will continue to be publicly covered. Local pharmacies will no longer be given a supply of COVID-19 shots, which will only be available through public health clinics through a phased delivery in the fall. The government has said the new approach will make sure it's better able to determine what it needs to order in coming years. It has ordered just under 500,000 of the vaccines for the fall, or about one-third of what was ordered last season, at an estimated cost of $49 million. Just under 14 per cent of Alberta's 4.8 million residents were vaccinated for the virus last season. Public health-care experts say the province's new COVID-19 policy will create more barriers to getting vaccinated and also lead to higher costs as more people develop severe complications. Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends that all adults 65 years of age or older and health-care workers get the shot. Opposition NDP health critic Sarah Hoffman said Monday that Primary and Preventative Health Minister Adriana Lagrange is responsible for weakening the province's public vaccine campaign in the first place, and her government's goal is to appease anti-vaccination fringe groups. 'This reduced uptake and wastage was a direct result of undermining (LaGrange's) own department's efforts to promote vaccines,' said Hoffman. She said Smith is saddling Albertans with extra fees and inching the province closer to American-style health care. Dr. Luanne Metz said she and other NDP MLAs are hearing from Albertans who are concerned it will force seniors on limited incomes to pay more, which will result in some skipping their medications. 'They're really putting up more and more barriers for people and for health-care workers to be able to get the vaccines, which means that we will have more disease, more sick people, (and) more people dying,' Metz said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Global News
20 hours ago
- Health
- Global News
Health-care workers urge Alberta to halt plan limiting free COVID-19 vaccines
Unions representing health-care workers in Alberta and doctors who care for those who are gravely ill are calling on Premier Danielle Smith's government to reverse course and provide free COVID-19 vaccines to all front-line workers and any other Albertan who wants the shot. Late last Friday afternoon, the province announced almost all Albertans who want to continue to protect themselves from the COVID-19 virus will have to pay for the vaccine out of pocket for it. 'The way that we prevent people from coming into hospital is preventative medicine, which we're absolutely not doing by de-restricting or causing people to have to pay for these things,' said Dr. Darren Markland, a nephrologist and intensive care physician at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton. 'The people who are most at risk or most marginalized are the ones who least can afford these vaccines.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The people who are most at risk or most marginalized are the ones who least can afford these vaccines." Story continues below advertisement Smith said the new policy aims to prevent wastage, recover costs and protect those who need the vaccine most by giving it to them for free. Speaking Saturday on her call-in radio show the morning after her government announced the move, Smith said $135 million got 'flushed down the drain' last year with doses wasted in part because Albertans are increasingly choosing to not take them. 'I think it's because it doesn't work particularly well, if you want the truth,' Smith said. Just under 14 per cent of Alberta's 4.8 million residents got vaccinated for the virus last season. 'We believe in vaccine choice, but we don't pay for everything,' Smith said. Going forward, the vaccines will still be covered by the province for select groups of high-risk individuals such as seniors, people who live in congregate living, those with underlying medical conditions or are immunocompromised, and Albertans who require social support such as AISH or are homeless. However, most Albertans, including health-care workers and seniors who live independently, will have to pay out of pocket. 2:18 Majority of Albertans to pay for COVID-19 vaccine The United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) called it a 'politically motivated move.' Story continues below advertisement 'This is an extremely dangerous policy that will increase health-care costs as well as stress on the health-care system,' said UNA president Heather Smith. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. 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 'The government's claim that this is being done to save money and recover costs makes no sense from a moral or logical perspective. This policy is wrong for health-care workers and wrong for all Albertans.' 'Once again this government has completely ignored both the expertise and safety of health-care workers.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Once again this government has completely ignored both the expertise and safety of health-care workers." In addition to adding a fee, in most cases, the COVID-19 vaccine will only be available through public health clinics and pharmacies will no longer be administering the vaccine. While the province said work is underway to determine what the final cost will be per vaccine, it noted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates a cost of $110 per vaccine dose. In making the announcement on Friday, the government pointed out that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the United States — which is headed by longtime anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — recently stopped recommending routine COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women and healthy children. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada countered that COVID-19 vaccination 'remains safe and strongly recommended' during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Alberta doctors say these days, this province should not be taking advice from any medical association based in the United States. Story continues below advertisement 'We have ongoing disinformation from the Alberta government,' Markland said. 'We have our health providers taking information from the FDA, which is under some pretty nefarious leadership right now. 'We have a very anti-science government. There's a reason why people aren't hearing about vaccines. We're not doing our due diligence to get the word out that vaccines prevent sickness and keep you out of hospital.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We have a very anti-science government. There's a reason why people aren't hearing about vaccines. We're not doing our due diligence to get the word out that vaccines prevent sickness and keep you out of hospital." The Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) said keeping the vaccine free for health-care workers is the best way to protect patients, reduce hospitalizations and keep the health-care system strong. HSAA vice-president Leanne Alfaro said COVID-19 continues to put vulnerable Albertans at risk and vaccines remain the most effective tool for protecting both individuals and broader health system. She also said workers should not be expected to put themselves in harm's way without basic protection. 'No one wants to see life-saving vaccines discarded unused,' Alfaro said in a statement on Monday. 'HSAA shares the government's concern about reducing vaccine waste and ensuring public health dollars are spent wisely. However, we are very concerned this change will limit access to COVID-19 vaccines for many Albertans, especially frontline health care professionals who deserve to be protected.' In January, the UCP government released a controversial report that called on the province to halt the use of the COVID-19 vaccine. Story continues below advertisement The report was commissioned shortly after Smith swept to power in late 2022, promising to redress the COVID-19 grievances of her supporters. However, critics lambasted the report calling it 'a sad document — that lacks significant credibility.' 1:11 Alberta measles cases highest in 50 years Alberta, which is grappling with a spike in measles cases not seen for several decades, is falling well short of the 95 per cent immunization rate experts say is needed to protect the population. Markland fears with the recent resurgence in diseases previously eradicated, such as measles, other life-altering diseases like polio could also return to Alberta. 'It's a highly infectious virus and to have polio come back is a legitimate possibility. Once you're paralyzed, that's it — you have polio. You are on a ventilator for the rest of your life. Story continues below advertisement 'You wanna see things get real expensive? Try claiming long-term disability and ventilation services from the Alberta government.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "You wanna see things get real expensive? Try claiming long-term disability and ventilation services from the Alberta government." The polio and measles vaccines are provided free of cost to Albertans as part of routine immunization. The province said starting Aug. 11, eligible Albertans will be able to signal their intent to receive the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines by pre-ordering through the Alberta Vaccine Booking System. 'It is absolutely irresponsible to force health-care workers in both public and private workplaces to place orders in August and pay to receive a vaccine that is an essential component of workplace health and safety,' Smith said in a statement. 'This will drive even more health care workers out of Alberta.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This will drive even more health care workers out of Alberta." The UNA said its occupational health and safety and professional responsibility teams will be meeting and reporting on possible strategies to take action if the government doesn't reverse course. The HSAA is the trade union that represents 30,000 paramedical technical, professional and general support employees in the public and private health-care sectors of Alberta. — More to come… — With files from Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press and Ken MacGillivray, Global News
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alberta nurses and provincial health agencies reach tentative deal
The union representing more than 30,000 nurses in Alberta has reached a tentative agreement with provincial health agencies. On Monday, the United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) announced the tentative agreement was signed between the union and several public health agencies including Alberta Health Services, Recovery Alberta, Primary Care Alberta, Covenant Health, Lamont Health Care Centre, and The Bethany Group (Camrose). According to a Monday press release, the new four-year collective agreement will 'significantly improve' wages for members. Registered nurses (RNs) and registered psychiatric nurses (RPNs) will have an immediate increase of approximately 15 per cent, and an overall increase of approximately 20 per cent. 'There are also other significant monetary improvements in the tentative agreement, including increases to charge pay, on-call pay, and car allowances, plus agreement that employers will pay all professional college registration and liability insurance fees,' the UNA said in the release. Before the agreement becomes official, members will have to vote to ratify the new Provincial Collective Agreement. The negotiating committee is recommending the ratification vote take place on April 2. Finance Minister and Treasury Board President Nate Horner thanked both AHS and UNA leadership for their efforts and said he cannot speak on the contents of the deal at this time. 'I have tremendous respect for the unique role nurses have in the health and well-being of all Albertans. This proposed settlement recognizes their hard work and dedication and the value they bring to our health care system,' Horner said. On top of the monetary increase, employers will commit to providing a safe environment for staff and clients. The UNA said they've received a letter from the health minister stating that any job transfers of a RN or RPN due to the refocusing of the health care system to a new agency or health corporation will preserve seniority, contractual benefits and UNA representation. A second letter signed by the jobs, economy and trade minister stated that RNs and RPNS will be included in presumptive coverage by the Worker's Compensation Board for any psychological injuries related to post-traumatic stress disorder and other traumatic mental health injuries. The UNA said this was a 'significant policy change.' A virtual Reporting Meeting of Local Representatives will be held on March 25. ctran@ X: @kccindytran Alberta nurses rally to support frontline health-care workers Alberta nurses vote to reject mediator's recommended settlement Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.
