The Alberta Public Health Association (APHA) is concerned by the Alberta government’s decision to restrict no-cost access to COVID-19 vaccine to only high-risk groups, while limiting access to public health clinics and requiring most Albertans to pay out-of-pocket for immunization.

The COVID-19 vaccine will be provided at no-cost to the following population groups:

• all residents of continuing care homes and seniors supportive living accommodations home care clients
• individuals six months of age and older with an eligible underlying medical condition and compromised immune systems
• health care workers
• individuals experiencing homelessness
• individuals 65 and older receiving the Alberta Seniors Benefit

The changes to this year’s approach—including narrowing eligibility for publicly funded vaccines, removing access through pharmacies, and introducing out-of-pocket costs—are deeply concerning. This shift reduces informed choice and creates barriers for Albertans.

The APHA is particularly concerned about the following:

• COVID-19 vaccines will only be available at a cost ($100) for the general population, which will limit access and undermine vaccine uptake.
• COVID-19 vaccines will not be available at pharmacies, which will limit access for rural communities and others who rely on these providers for seasonal vaccination.
• Omission of certain high-risk groups including family caregivers who care for family members with an underlying medical condition or compromised immune system as well as Albertans and families living with low-income. This will create barriers for at-risk Albertans.  

The impact of communicable diseases, such as COVID-19, on public health requires effective and equitable responses to minimize health, societal and economic impacts. One of the most critical tools in combating communicable diseases is universal access to vaccination.

While fiscal responsibility and efforts to reduce COVID-19 vaccine wastage are important, public health decisions must prioritize equitable access, disease prevention and collective protection. COVID-19 continues to pose a serious threat to health and health systems, particularly for marginalized and disadvantaged communities and groups. Universal access to vaccination remains one of the most effective and efficient tools to fostering community immunity and reducing severe illness, hospitalizations, adverse and long-term health impacts of communicable diseases as well as reducing health system costs to manage and treat communicable diseases such as COVID-19.

We believe all Albertans deserve timely, equitable access to vaccines—regardless of where they live, their income, or their ability to navigate complex systems. Vaccines are not merely personal protective measures—they are a public good. Alberta’s new policy risks burdening our health system, exacerbating health inequities, weakening immunization coverage, and increasing the likelihood of future outbreaks.

The APHA urges the Government of Alberta to reconsider aspects of the current approach to ensure that no one is left behind. The APHA recommends the Alberta government: 

1) Restore universally accessible, publicly funded COVID-19 immunization for all residents. 

2) Provide transparent, clear and consistent communication on vaccine access and the importance of vaccination.

3) Provide leadership and uphold immunization as a core public health function. 

TAKE ACTION

More information on accessing the COVID-19 vaccine

You can find more information about the Government of Alberta's COVID-19 immunization approach here.

To access the COVID-19 vaccine, all Albertans can use the Alberta Vaccine Booking System to book COVID-19 immunizations. 

Health System Refocusing – A Call for Transparent, Evidence-Based Reform

The Alberta Public Health Association (APHA) and the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) are concerned about Alberta’s Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2025, which consolidates control over public health under the direct authority of the provincial government. This legislation moves Medical Officers of Health (MOHs) and public health inspectors from Alberta Health Services (AHS) to Alberta Health, while transferring communicable disease control and other critical public health activities to a newly created agency, Primary Care Alberta.

While we recognize the need for improved coordination and efficiency in health service delivery, CPHA and APHA caution that the changes within this legislation risks undermining the effectiveness, integrity, and independence of public health in Alberta.

Ensuring Effectiveness Through Public Health Stakeholder Engagement

These sweeping reforms appear to have been introduced with minimal direct consultation with public health leaders, health professionals, or affected communities. A policy shift of this magnitude requires transparent dialogue and evidence-based planning that can be provided by public health stakeholders.

Maintaining the Integrity of Public Health

Public health requires the ability to act quickly and impartially, particularly during health emergencies. The current model, which grants MOHs a degree of operational independence, is essential to maintaining public confidence and ensuring science-based decision-making. Centralizing public health roles directly under ministerial authority creates the potential for political interference, weakening the ability of MOHs to communicate risk and act in the public’s best interest. To address this, the Alberta government should establish a leadership structure that connects MOHs to the full range of public health functions across the newly created agencies, ensuring that public health voices remain central to decision-making. Additionally, there should be allowances for MOHs to maintain, and strengthen, relationships with municipalities and other stakeholders in order to effectively improve and protect population health. 

Reducing Fragmentation of Public Health Functions

APHA and CPHA are also concerned about the decision to shift responsibility for key public health functions to Primary Care Alberta. Public health relies on community-based, integrated, and coordinated approaches that span surveillance, disease prevention, health promotion, health protection, and emergency response. Fragmenting these functions into an already overburdened primary care system risks reducing the coherence and effectiveness of the public health system, potentially leading to gaps in response, loss of institutional knowledge, and slower containment of public health threats. Furthermore, fragmentation of public health functions raises concerns about medical oversight and support for the functions moving to Primary Care Alberta, which is typically a role filled by MOHs as medical experts in public health and preventive medicine.

APHA and CPHA Recommend the Province of Alberta:

• Engage meaningfully with public health professionals, Indigenous health leaders, frontline providers, and communities to design reforms that truly meet Albertans’ needs.
• Prioritize transparent, timely, and consistent communication about the goals, processes, and anticipated impacts of these reforms to build public trust and foster collaboration with public health stakeholders.
• Preserve the integrity of MOHs by establishing clear legislative safeguards that protect their ability to act based on science and public health best practices.
• Maintain the integrity of public health functions within a strong, integrated public health system that is designed to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats with coherence and accountability.

At a time when public trust in health institutions is fragile there is a need for a coordinated, science-driven public health system. 

Providing evidence-informed information on protecting ourselves from winter viruses 

Dr. James Dickinson, member of the O'Brien Institute for Public Health at University of Calgary, is working to spread information on how all of us can protect ourselves from on-going winter viruses. Read the op-ed by Dr. Dickinson.

Canada has lost its measles elimination status

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Listen to former Alberta Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. James Talbot, speak to the loss of Canada’s measles elimination status and what can be done to restore it.

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