‘They’re going to be a bit shocked after they pay for it themselves’: Danielle Smith defends charging for COVID-19 vaccines

Premier Danielle Smith says other provinces may "regret" offering the COVID-19 vaccine for free due to how high vaccine waste costs have been in previous years.

Alberta premier Danielle Smith defended her decision to charge many Albertans for the COVID-19 vaccine Saturday and said once Manitoba and B.C. do the math, they might think twice about giving theirs away.

On her Saturday morning radio show, Your Province, Your Premier, Smith responded to a caller, who said it was “sad” that many Albertans will have to pay $100 to receive a COVID-19 shot while B.C. and Manitoba are both offering to give any Albertan who needs it a shot for free.

“I don’t think they’ve (B.C. and Manitoba) done the analysis we’ve done,” Smith said. “I think they’re going to be a bit shocked after they have to pay for it themselves and they’re doing the analysis that we’ve already done.”

Smith said that muted demand for the COVID-19 vaccine in the winter of 2024-25 resulted in around $135 million worth of wasted vaccines, as only around 14 per cent of eligible Albertans actually got the shot.

She said that wastage is accelerated by the way the vaccines have been packaged, and that over the last three winters, Alberta has tossed out about $284 million worth of unused vaccines -- paid for by the federal government.

This year, the responsibility for paying for COVID-19 vaccines belongs to each individual province.

“It’s an expensive shot,” Smith said. “We want to make sure that those who need it, who are immunocompromised, get it at no charge, and those who want it just for that extra peace of mind, they can pay for it.

“We do the same thing with RSV,” she added. “We pay for RSV for those over 75. We don’t pay for shingles at all. We don’t pay 100 per cent of the cost of every vaccine for every person.”

Assessment

On Thursday, Smith defended asking some Albertans to pay for their COVID-19 shots.

“They (the federal government) chose to stop funding it and so we had to make an assessment of what it would cost us if we resume covering in the same way that they did,” Smith told reporters.

“The challenge is that fewer and fewer people each year are choosing to seek the COVID vaccine. Last year was only 13.7 per cent and so we have a mismatch of how much we’re ordering versus what the demand is.”

For Phase 1, starting in October, the province will offer free vaccines to eligible Albertans, including the following:

• All residents of continuing care homes and seniors supportive living accommodations;
• Home care clients;
• Individuals six months of age and older with underlying medical conditions and compromised immune systems, as recommended by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI);
• Health care workers;
• Individuals experiencing homelessness; and
• Individuals 65 and older receiving the Alberta Seniors Benefit

Others will have to pay $100.

Other provinces

Citing a reciprocal agreement between provinces and territories in place since 2013, B.C.’s Ministry of Health says Canadian travellers should be able to receive publicly-funded immunization anywhere.

The ministry says that of course includes COVID-19 shots and of course includes Albertans.

“In Manitoba, out-of-province visitors remain eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine free of charge, whether or not they have Manitoba Health coverage or third-party insurance. In some cases, an administration fee may apply,” the province said.

Saskatchewan said it’s still formulating its policy but will offer free vaccines to Lloydminster residents who live on the Alberta side of the city.

‘Major concerns’: AMA

Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi criticized the premier’s approach.

“This UCP government’s decision to make Albertans pay for COVID vaccines is wrong and must be reversed immediately.,” he said in a statement.

Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan called the policy “shameful.”

Dr. Shelly Duggan, the president of the Alberta Medical Association (AMA), said the province is diverting from the other provinces in a way that’s concerning.

“Our province’s immunization strategy still diverges from national recommendations and there are major concerns around pre-ordering, eliminating pharmacies from distribution and potential charges for most Albertans including those prioritized by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI),” Duggan said.

“Immunization is a cornerstone of public health and access should not be limited by cost or logistics.”

Smith stuck to her guns Saturday however, saying it’s her job to manage the province’s tax dollars responsibly.

“We just have to make sure we’re managing our limited tax dollars in the best possible way,” she said, “and we’ll see how this (winter) season goes.

“Just as the majority of Albertans have made the decision not to get vaccinated,” she added. “You can look at the numbers yourself -- we make all this data available on the respiratory virus website, and last year, it was less than 14 per cent of Albertans who opted for it.

“We’ve got to match our ordering and our policy towards what the actual need is,” she said, “and what demand is -- that’s what we’re doing this year.”

With files from CTV’s Mark Villani and Damien Wood