As COVID vaxx ordering portal opens, Albertans aren’t guaranteed one

By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on August 12, 2025.

asmith@medicinehatnews.com

The province’s portal to pre-order paid COVID-19 vaccinations for the fall is now open, though the site notes that receiving the vaccine is not guaranteed.

A policy shift in June made provincial governments responsible for procuring vaccine doses, and Alberta’s government made the decision to put the immunization in a similar vein to RSV, yellow fever and shingles vaccinations, which are paid for out of pocket.

These vaccines can be pre-ordered alongside influenza vaccines through the myhealth.alberta.ca portal, though they warn that submitting a pre-order does not guarantee an immunization appointment, and that appointment availability will depend on eligibility at the time of immunization.

There is not currently information on who will be considered eligible come fall available on MyHealth, though there is a list of reasons that someone may be unable to get the vaccine, such as allergy to the vaccine, previous serious reaction, or certain cancer treatments.

It is still unknown what the out of pocket cost for immunization will be, though it is expected that it will surpass $100 for most.

The Alberta Federation of Labour criticized this decision Monday, noting that no other province is charging for immunization against COVID-19.

“No other province in Canada is charging for access to the COVID vaccine,” said Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour. “This is a dangerous precedent. I urge Premier Smith to reconsider her plan because otherwise Alberta could face serious COVID-19 outbreaks over the fall and winter, which would impose a heavy burden on already strained health-care facilities and workers, imposing exactly the kind of cost to taxpayers that she claims to be trying to avoid, not to mention the unnecessary human suffering.”

He continued to add that AFL is concerned regarding the lower number of procured vaccines, responding to reports that the Alberta government has ordered only 485,000 doses of COVID-19 for the 2025/26 season, whereas 700,000 doses were delivered to Albertans each of the past two years.

This, says McGowan, raises concerns that since the vaccine is being delivered in phases, starting with individuals in congregate care, vulnerable Albertans and seniors, there may not be any vaccines available for frontline workers or the general public seeking to protect themselves.

“This year’s rollout of COVID-19 vaccine has been deliberately throttled by a premier who has personally expressed doubt about vaccine efficacy on numerous occasions, contrary to the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence,” said McGowan.

“She seems to have learned nothing from Alberta’s ongoing public health crisis – the measles outbreak – which is worse here than almost anywhere in the western world. Her total apathy toward public health measures is putting Albertans at risk and is likely to put added pressure on health-care facilities during the fall and winter,” said McGowan. “It’s time for a U-turn on this terrible policy decision. Make COVID vaccine free for everyone and ensure health-care workers can get it quickly and conveniently.”

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