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Alberta will not follow the lead of other Canadian provinces by introducing a vaccine passport, Health Minister Tyler Shandro said Thursday.
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In a Twitter thread, Shandro said Alberta will not budge on its opposition to policies that would require Albertans to provide proof of immunization against COVID-19 to access government or private services.
“To be clear, the Alberta government has not and will not mandate a so-called ‘vaccine passport’ for domestic use,” Shandro said.
Though Alberta continues to resist a vaccine mandate, the province is advising people they may access their proof of vaccination records online if required for other reasons, such as international travel.
The records are accessible through MyHealth Records (myhealth.alberta.ca/myhealthrecords). There, Albertans can view their COVID-19 immunization records as well as other immunizations they have had. They can print a copy of their vaccine record or take a screenshot of it.
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Shandro said Albertans will also soon be able to print a smaller paper proof-of-vaccination card. He said more than 800,000 Albertans currently have accounts with MyHealth Records, with registrations surging, including 2,000 logged Wednesday. Immunization records provided by pharmacies, doctors or AHS at the time Albertans got their shot can also be used as proof.
Several Canadian provinces have announced they will require proof of immunization to access a range of non-essential services such as dining out or going to the gym, with British Columbia most recently unveiling its vaccine cards earlier this week.
Within Alberta, numerous private businesses have announced similar mandates, including the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corp., which will require all fans and staff at Flames, Hitmen and Stampeders games to be fully immunized. Even municipalities, including the Town of Banff, have introduced mandatory vaccine policies for employees.
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The United Conservative government has remained steadfast in its opposition to such policies, however, with the province even moving this spring to repeal legislation that gives the government power to make vaccines mandatory.
In a frequently-asked-questions page about proof of immunization posted Wednesday, the province said vaccine mandates imposed by private businesses or municipalities are not the government’s decision — and these policies “may be subject to legal challenges by individual Albertans.”
In other Canadian jurisdictions that have imposed vaccine mandates, data shows the policies have helped bolster immunization rates, according to Dr. Craig Jenne with the University of Calgary. In B.C., for example, vaccine registrations shot up more than 200 per cent the day after the passport was announced.
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“Providing not only the requirement for vaccines for some elective activities in the community — not essential services — and then providing a government-supported proof of vaccine did in fact increase vaccine rates,” said Jenne, an infectious disease expert. He added any vaccine mandate must consider those who are medically unable to get the shot.
Alberta currently has the lowest immunization rates among all provinces for both first and second doses. In total, 66 per cent of Albertans have had at least one shot, and 58.8 per cent are fully immunized. For those age 12 and over who are eligible for the shot, 77.6 per cent are at least partially immunized, and 69.2 per cent have received both necessary doses.
The surging fourth wave of COVID-19 cases in Alberta indicates current vaccine coverage is insufficient to combat the extra-contagious Delta variant, Jenne said.
“Clearly, there’s not enough protection in the community to stop the spread of the virus,” he said. “There is much room for improvement, and we need to explore all options that will get that vaccine rate up to generate some level of community protection.”
A recent Angus Reid poll found a majority of Canadians support vaccine passports, with two-thirds agreeing immunization should be mandatory for large public events. That support was lowest in Alberta, but 52 per cent of Albertans polled were still in favour of a mandate.
Twitter: @jasonfherring
Alberta government steadfast in opposition to vaccine passports - Calgary Herald
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