No vaccines for most community clinics, Alberta government decides

The Alberta government is permanently cutting off the flow of publicly funded vaccines to community clinics except for a select few, sparking yet another wave of concern among health care providers.

As CBC News previously reported, shipments of government-funded vaccines to community clinics were halted in April when a distribution contract expired.

A replacement was never hired and as a result, GPs did not receive COVID-19 and flu vaccines for the autumn immunization campaign.

Clinics have not had access to a number of other government-funded vaccines for months, including the vaccine that protects against whooping cough.

After months of uncertainty, punctuated by reports that the disruption was temporary, the Alberta government now tells CBC News it is ending the broader distribution program, which launched in 2021 in an effort to increase access.

“As we emerge from the pandemic, we have reevaluated and determined that we will return to distributing provincially funded vaccines to the select community clinics that previously administered vaccines,” said a statement from the Health Minister's office.

“To ensure we minimize vaccine waste and maintain access, we will focus on serving the most vulnerable populations, those in rural areas [and] remote locations and in clinics where the greatest number of vaccines are being administered.”

In the future, the province plans to distribute flu, pneumococcal and Tdap vaccines (which protect against whooping cough, tetanus and diphtheria) to between 20 and 25 community clinics.

Before distribution was halted in the spring, between 500 and 600 community clinics administered publicly funded vaccines, a government document shows.

'Alarming' change

“This response falls far short of what we need to see… We need all medical clinics in the community to be able to administer the appropriate vaccinations to their patients,” said Dr. Mareli Powell, a family physician who practices in Fox Creek and Edmonton.

According to Powell, a variety of clinics will be affected, including doctor's offices that offer flu shots, doctors' offices that simultaneously perform suturing and administering tetanus shots and maternity hospitals that offer vaccines as part of prenatal care.

“It is not acceptable that this service can no longer be provided through medical clinics,” said Powell, former president of the North Zone Medical Staff Association.

“If we assume that approximately 300,000 patients receive their vaccinations through medical clinics, this will impact our vaccination rate. This will put further strain on our acute care system once flu season is in full swing.”

Alberta's flu vaccine uptake last year was the lowest in a decade at 24 per cent.

Dr. Christine Luelo, a family physician from Calgary, is concerned about the decline.

“When I hear the number 20 to 25 [clinics] As a provincial issue, I'm a little concerned that this is a small drop in the bucket,” she said.

“At best, they don't really understand the implication of not involving primary care providers as an important factor for vaccination. At worst, they are actively trying to stay silent about vaccines. And that's pretty alarming, so to speak. the least.”

Luelo said making vaccines as accessible as possible is critical at a time when immunization rates are declining.

And she worries the change will lead to fragmentation of care by forcing patients to take another step and get their vaccines elsewhere.

“I've had many situations where a patient just wanted a few extra questions answered, they were ready to go, and now I send them away from my clinic hoping they won't change their mind on the way to the pharmacy.”

The Alberta Medical Association is also speaking out.

“We are concerned that vaccines will not be available through community families or rural generalist clinics.… This deprives Albertans of the opportunity to obtain advice and immunization from their most trusted source of medical information,” Dr. Shelley Duggan, president of the AMA, said in an emailed statement to CBC News.

“Last year, around four percent of vaccinations were administered this way and that is still significant: every person vaccinated means improved safety for all.”

Duggan said the AMA is consulting with members and will continue to pressure the government to consider other options.

Meanwhile, the provincial government said it will continue to monitor vaccination rates and make changes as necessary.

“We want to be clear that there is still good access to vaccination services in Alberta,” the statement said.

Flu, COVID-19, pneumococcal and Tdap vaccines are available at approximately 1,600 community pharmacies and 150 AHS clinics. According to the province, 97 percent of people who were vaccinated against the flu last year received their vaccination there.

According to the province, COVID-19 will no longer be sent to public medical clinics to prevent waste because there are multiple doses in each vial.

The selection criteria for clinics are still being worked out and the province expects to begin shipping from its provincial vaccine depot between late November and mid-December.