When Public Health Takes a Step Back, Older Adults Pay the Price
As Canadians enjoy the warmth and relaxation of summer, public health officials across the country are already preparing for the next cold and flu season. Everywhere, that is, except in Alberta, where the government is rolling back its COVID-19 vaccine requirements and coverage for older persons and health care workers and softening its stance on immunization in general. This move has prompted many health experts to sound the alarm, particularly regarding the province’s older residents.
Unfortunately, the situation in Alberta highlights the persistent fragmentation of Canada’s vaccine landscape. While every other province and territory in Canada so far continue to offer free, evidence-based protection against COVID-19 to their more vulnerable residents, Alberta’s decision to offload the costs ($110 per vaccine) onto individuals could have life-threatening consequences, especially for older adults on fixed incomes.
The risk of hospitalization for severe illness and death from COVID-19 is significantly higher among older adults, with those aged 60 years and older accounting for 92% of Canada’s COVID-19 deaths to date. Age-related changes like decreased lung capacity and immune function make older adults particularly susceptible to complications from preventable diseases.
Vaccines are not just a personal health choice—they are essential tools for preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death in the populations most at risk.
“Despite the widespread availability of vaccines for several years, even when free, uptake has been underwhelming amongst older Canadians,” says Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Health Policy Research at the National Institute on Ageing. “We need far greater awareness that many cases of common respiratory and other infections and their complications can be prevented by vaccination. Adding additional barriers and especially high costs will only harm the people who need the vaccine the most.”
Alberta’s stance runs counter to years of public health guidance that vaccines should be widely accessible and supported by public health awareness campaigns to maximize the population-level benefits. Unfortunately, public messaging in Alberta has increasingly cast doubt on the value of vaccines. Alberta’s choices may reflect political calculus, but they come at a real and measurable cost to public health, particularly for those who don’t have the luxury of robust immune systems or easy access to timely information.
The NIA’s COVID-19 pamphlets, available in 18 languages, aim to fill some of those gaps. But education alone can’t compensate for policy decisions that disincentivize protection, especially amongst the populations where the stakes are highest.
Ultimately, the decision to get vaccinated is personal, but the consequences are collective. As the rest of Canada continues to work to protect older adults with free updated COVID-19 boosters and flu shots, Alberta’s shift away from supporting evidence-based vaccine recommendations sends a chilling signal: that political ideology may be taking precedence over evidence, science and the well-being of its ageing population.