The Alberta government says most people in the province will now have to pay $100 if they want a COVID-19 vaccine dose this fall.
In a news release on Friday, the province said Albertans who are ineligible for a free COVID-19 vaccine will now be charged an administration fee for each dose, whereas it was previously provided free of charge.
In an email to CBC News, the province stated that this $100 administration fee covers the total cost of the vaccine, including aspects such as storage, handling and shipping.
This policy means Alberta will be the only Canadian province not providing free universal access to COVID-19 shots this fall.
Dr. Darren Markland, an intensive care physician at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, said he has “significant concerns about the mechanism by which people are able to obtain vaccines this year.”
“Making access to vaccinations as easy as possible has always been key for getting our vaccination rates up, and in fact, [this] process seems to be the opposite,” he said.
“It’s a tariff on health care, and that is not what we are supposed to be doing to keep the vulnerable safe.”
WATCH | Albertans could still go to B.C. to get a free COVID-19 vaccine: 
Albertans can get a free COVID-19 shot in B.C.
Albertans who are not considered vulnerable will have to pay for their upcoming COVID-19 shot. The province previously estimated it will cost $110 per shot. As Travis McEwan reports, Albertans are eligible to get it for free in other provinces like British Columbia.
The Alberta government says free access to the COVID-19 vaccine will be limited to seniors in supportive living and continuing care homes, people receiving home care, those with compromised immune systems or underlying medical conditions, homeless people, health-care workers and people aged 65 and older receiving the Alberta Seniors Benefit.
In an email, Alberta’s ministry of primary and preventive health services confirmed that most people receiving Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped or other income support will also fit into one of the eligible categories to get the free vaccine.
The province said vaccines will now be provided to most Albertans only through public health clinics, although some pharmacists will be able to administer immunizations at continuing care and assisted living facilities.
For Albertans eligible to receive a free vaccine, immunization appointments will begin on Oct. 1. However, all Albertans who must pay for doses will have to wait until Oct. 20 for vaccine appointments, pending availability.
The provincial government said approximately 485,000 doses have been ordered to support the targeted COVID-19 immunization program for the 2025-26 flu season.
Vaccine waste and cost
This change in provincial COVID-19 vaccine policy follows the federal government’s transfer of responsibility for purchasing COVID-19 vaccines to the provinces and territories earlier this year.
The provincial government has said the decision to charge for COVID-19 vaccines is an attempt to prevent wasting money on unused doses.
At an unrelated news conference on Thursday, CBC News asked Premier Danielle Smith about the decision.
“We are trying to mitigate costs because it is an expensive intervention,” Smith replied.
“We don’t pay 100 per cent of the cost of every vaccine. So we’re just trying to align our approach on COVID with the same approach that we’re taking on RSV.”
The RSV immunization is available to all Albertans aged 70 and older at no cost.
Smith said that about 54 per cent of COVID-19 doses from the 2023-24 flu season were spoiled due to a lack of demand.
The province said that during the 2024-25 flu season, more than 400,000 doses, valued at around $44 million, went unused or expired.
However, Markland said he believes that the money lost on unused vaccines is a small price to pay compared to what he calls the larger costs of having more people needing health-care treatment.
“This [decision] is based on this idea that we’re saving money, which is the complete antithesis of what preventative health care is all about,” he said.
“The amount of money that we save for lost vaccines is completely absorbed by core outcomes from people who end up in hospitals during flu season.”
In a statement issued Friday, Opposition Leader Naheed Nenshi called on the Alberta government to not charge anyone who wants a COVID-19 vaccine.
“Albertans deserve the same access to this vaccine that every other Canadian gets,” he said.