In a partial policy reversal, Alberta’s government said Tuesday it will cover the cost of COVID-19 vaccinations for health-care workers.
Maddison McKee, spokesperson to Primary and Preventative Health Services Minister Adriana LaGrange, said in an email that COVID-19 vaccine coverage will be extended to all health-care workers this fall under the first phase of the province’s vaccination rollout.
“Immunization will remain voluntary,” said McKee.
It comes two months after the government said most Albertans, including health workers, would have to pay for COVID-19 shots this season.
Public health experts and health-care unions called it irresponsible to force front-line workers to pay for protection in the workplace.
Mike Parker, president of Health Sciences Association of Alberta, said the government promised the union its members would have their vaccines covered during a recent round of collective bargaining.
Parker said, however, that the promise is not in the actual collective agreement and the HSAA would like it to be.
“We had to raise our voices a lot on this one and we’re glad to see that it has come forward today,” he said.
“There are plenty of pieces of equipment that you need to keep you safe in a job — any job, whatever that looks like. Having access to these vaccines is part of that conversation.”
Albertans can now book their COVID-19 vaccines for the fall, but it comes with a cost
David Harrigan, director of labour relations with the United Nurses of Alberta, said the policy is “an incredible relief.”
“I think a lot of people expect there’s going to be another surge of COVID coming in the fall,” he said. “Putting up barriers for particularly health-care workers that are working with the compromised patients, we thought was very unrealistic.”
He said the UNA is hoping the vaccine coverage will apply to all members, including those working in long-term care, however, this has not yet been confirmed.
Premier Danielle Smith has said the aim of the new vaccine policy is to prevent wastage, after some $135 million was spent on unused doses.
The government hasn’t finalized how much other Albertans will need to pay, but an estimated cost to buy each shot is $110.
The province said in June those who have compromised immune systems, people on social programs and seniors in congregate settings will be covered.
Last week, the government opened online pre-ordering for the COVID-19 vaccine alongside flu shots. Albertans still need to book appointments for the shots, starting in October.
Those who don’t pre-order by a Sept. 30 deadline can still book an appointment once doses become available.
However, the specifics of the qualifying health conditions for a free shot have not been released.
LaGrange’s office has said details of the plan are still being finalized — including the updated vaccination schedule, eligible conditions, exact locations and administrative fee for COVID-19 vaccines.
Alberta Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi called on the United Conservative Party government to give the shot to all seniors at no cost.
“They continue to make this up as they go along. Albertans deserve better than this incompetence and confusion,” he said in a statement Tuesday.
The province said it has ordered 485,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine for the fall — about 250,000 fewer doses than were administered last year.
The federal government put provinces in charge of buying COVID-19 shots this year, but Alberta’s COVID-19 policy makes it an outlier.
The province has said local pharmacies will no longer get a supply of COVID-19 shots, which will only be available through public health clinics through a phased delivery.
The government has said the new approach would help it better know what to order in coming years.
Public health-care experts have also said the province’s COVID-19 strategy will create more barriers to getting vaccinated and also lead to higher health-care system costs, as more people develop severe complications.
Critics have also said excluding pharmacies from the rollout will limit access for rural residents, shift workers and others who rely on community-based care. Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends that all adults 65 or older and health-care workers get the shot.
Routine influenza vaccines continue to be publicly covered.
