No flu or COVID-19 vaccines for medical clinics as Alberta's fall immunization launch nears
CBC
Family doctors and nurse practitioners have been told they will not be receiving deliveries of flu or COVID-19 vaccines in time for the fall immunization program launch later this month. And it is unclear if they will get any at all.
In addition to AHS public health clinics and pharmacies, community medical clinics can administer publicly funded vaccines, including those that protect against COVID and influenza.
But shipments of vaccines — to these clinics — have stopped, jeopardizing their participation in the fall immunization campaign.
"It's extremely disappointing to hear, from government, that community practices are not going to be able to receive any vaccines for this flu season," said Dr. Ernst Greyvenstein, a family doctor in Calgary.
In a recent memo from Alberta Health, physicians and nurse practitioners were told they would not be able to access key vaccines this fall.
The memo, obtained by CBC News, said the distribution of provincially funded vaccines to medical and nurse practitioner clinics was "temporarily paused" in April when a contract with the distribution company expired.
"At this time, Alberta Health has not been successful in contracting a distributor to ship vaccines to community medical and nurse practitioner clinics," it stated.
It went on to say a recent expression of interest had closed and no submissions were received.
"As a result, a vendor for vaccine distribution will not be in place by October 15 for the start of the influenza and COVID vaccine program."
Health-care providers are being asked to direct Albertans to get their immunizations at AHS public health clinics and pharmacies.
The distribution problem impacts a number of publicly funded vaccines, including the shot that protects against pertussis (whooping cough) tetanus and diptheria (Tdap).
Greyvenstein — an Alberta Medical Association director who played a key role in advocating for the administration of COVID vaccines by family physician — said staff at his clinic are trained and ready to go.
"The impact of this is far-reaching for patients. Approximately 300,000 patients, plus, receive their vaccines in community practices. Our physicians and community practices have fought very hard to receive vaccines in our practices," he said.
This comes at a time when Alberta's vaccination rates are slumping.
Shopping local may be the desire, but affordability might decide where shoppers spend their money this Christmas season.
As classes across New Brunswick pause for the holidays, it’s not yet clear which schools are making a dent in chronic absenteeism — a stubborn post-pandemic trend that mostly afflicts the high school cohort, especially in the Anglophone West school district.
CBC Quebec has launched its Make the Season Kind campaign. It's our annual campaign that focuses on food insecurity, while also celebrating kindness, generosity and community spirit around the province.
Premier Wab Kinew says Manitoba will hold a public inquiry as soon as 2026 into the former Progressive Conservative government’s post-election efforts to approve an environmental licence for sand-mining company Sio Silica.
Premier Scott Moe has led the Saskatchewan Party through two straight elections, winning majority governments each time.
Eight weeks after adding a GM BrightDrop van to the fleet of his plumbing and heating business, Marty Salliss has no complaints, only praise.
Nearly half of Alberta’s Grade 6 students failed the provincewide math test in 2024, three years after the province started rolling out its new elementary school curriculum.
Toronto could get new cars on the road whose drivers will never get frustrated by gridlock — because the cars would be driving themselves.
Amidst a cost-of-living crisis, some London-area organizations say they have noticed a decline in donations this holiday season.
Prominent northern leaders have been touting the Arctic economic and security corridor as a "nation-building" project that will bring economic benefits to the two territories it straddles, but others are split on how much good will come out of it.
When the federal government tabled its 2025 budget last month, it included a proposal that tax fraud experts say is long overdue — if also a belated acknowledgement that the Canada Revenue Agency has been repeatedly duped into paying out untold millions in bogus tax refunds to scammers.
Talking with an AI chatbot can successfully convince people to change their votes and could affect the outcome of future elections, according to a new study.
While some are writing wishlists for Santa Claus, a group of Newfoundland and Labrador youth are writing their wishlist for the provincial government.