Alberta ends free COVID-19 vaccines, angering province’s liberal politicians

• Alberta’s UCP government will no longer provide free COVID-19 vaccines for most residents starting fall 2024, requiring individuals outside priority groups to pay ~CA$110 per dose. High-risk groups (e.g., seniors, immunocompromised) remain exempt.
• The policy aims to reduce vaccine waste, citing CA$135 million in discarded doses (54 percent of supply) during 2023-2024. Health Minister Adriana LaGrange defended it as fiscally responsible.
• Critics, including the NDP’s Sarah Hoffman, argue the policy undermines health equity, creating financial barriers for low-income residents and accelerating healthcare privatization.
• The move aligns with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s skepticism of mandates, referencing countries like Denmark that halted routine child vaccinations. It contrasts with Canada’s national advisory body, which still recommends vaccines for youth and pregnant women.
• The policy tests post-pandemic healthcare balance. Proponents see it as pragmatic normalization, while critics warn of eroded public trust. Other provinces may follow Alberta’s precedent on fiscal restraint vs. equitable access.

The government of Canada’s Alberta province under the United Conservative Party (UCP) has announced that Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines will no longer be free of charge for most residents starting this fall.

In a press release Friday, June 13, the provincial government said those who wish to avail of the COVID-19 injections but do not fall under certain priority groups will “be required to cover the full costs of the vaccine.” The decision to shift the financial burden onto individuals who choose to get the shots was framed as a cost-saving measure to reduce waste.

Under the new system, residents must pre-order vaccines at a cost of approximately CA$110 ($80.62) per dose. High-risk groups, including seniors in care facilities and immunocompromised individuals, can still get the vaccine at no cost. The phased rollout prioritizes vulnerable populations before expanding availability to the general public, who will pay out of pocket.

The decision has nevertheless drawn sharp criticism from left-leaning opponents who argue it undermines public health equity. Former Alberta Deputy Premier Sarah Hoffman of the New Democratic Party condemned the “cruel” policy and accused the UCP of accelerating healthcare privatization. According to her, charging for vaccines creates a financial barrier for low-income Albertans.

Alberta’s controversial vaccine shift: Fiscal prudence or public health risk?

The provincial government countered that the change aligns with fiscal responsibility. Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange defended the move, citing excessive waste in previous vaccination campaigns.

“In previous years, we’ve seen significant vaccine wastage,” LaGrange stated. Fifty-four percent of the province’s COVID-19 doses, worth an estimated CA$135 million ($98.95 million), were discarded in the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

The controversy echoes broader tensions over pandemic management. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has previously questioned vaccine mandates for children, citing international precedents in Denmark and Sweden, where routine COVID-19 vaccination for healthy minors was halted. (Related: Alberta to scrap covid vaccine passport scheme, announces plans to lift “almost all” restrictions.)

The shift coincides with diverging global health advisories. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration no longer recommends routine COVID vaccines for pregnant women and young children, Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization continues to endorse them. Alberta’s policy also follows a provincial task force report urging transparency about vaccine risks and caution for healthy youth, a stance that has drawn ire from advocates of vaccine mandates.

As Alberta prepares for the fall rollout, the debate underscores enduring divisions over pandemic lessons. Proponents of the new policy frame it as a pragmatic step toward normalizing COVID-19 management, while critics warn it risks eroding trust in public health.

With other provinces watching closely, Alberta’s experiment may set a precedent for how governments balance fiscal restraint with equitable healthcare access in a post-pandemic world. The outcome will hinge on whether the targeted approach curbs waste without exacerbating health disparities, a challenge that reflects the complex legacy of COVID-19 policies.

VaccineWars.com has more similar stories.

Watch this NFSC News report about Alberta Premier Danielle Smith admitting that the unvaccinated were right about the COVID-19 injections.

This video is from the Dissident7 channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Canadian legal group blasts Alberta magistrate who ruled that doctors can require COVID vaccination before organ transplants.

Denmark permanently stops rollout for AstraZeneca vaccine, citing concerns about blood clots.

CDC drops COVID-19 vaccine recommendation for healthy kids and pregnant women.

Sources include:

InfoWars.com

Alberta.ca

LifeSiteNews.com

Brighteon.com