Some Calgary pharmacists say they’ve started waitlists for private COVID-19 vaccines because they can’t get their hands on stock as frustrated Albertans turn to them for the shots.
The provincial government is facing ongoing pushback for charging most Albertans for the vaccine and many people have struggled to book through the public system, which has been described as confusing and complicated.
The government-run program is only offering COVID shots at public health clinics. Some high-risk groups are eligible to get the shot for free, while the vast majority of people must pay $100.
Private supplies are also available through pharmacies. And Pfizer Canada, the company supplying that private stock, said it has placed temporary limits on orders due to higher than expected demand.
“It just all seemed to dry up,” said Jason Chan Remillard, pharmacist and owner of the Pharmasave in the northwest Calgary community of Brentwood.
He noticed last week he was no longer able to order COVID vaccine doses after only being able access limited supplies for a number of weeks.
“We’ve got people on lists waiting for shots. We’ve got names on shots. We’ve got names on pieces of paper. It’s just crazy,” he said.
According to Chan Remillard, many of the people coming into his pharmacy have had trouble booking through the province’s online booking system for public health clinics. And he said others are being offered appointments a month or more away, well into the respiratory virus season.
“[Some] are tired of trying to navigate the system and figure out how to get one through the public system. A lot of people say they’d rather give me $135 rather than give the government $100.”
“We’ve just been receiving calls all day and trying to field these calls and make people understand … we just can’t seem to obtain the vaccine right now.”
When he has been able to order stock he’s been offering the vaccine at cost and waiving the administration fee.
“This is kind of a public service that I feel we’re doing,” he said.
Randy Howden is also opting to forgo charging the $20 administration fee at his Medicine Shoppe pharmacies, including the Crowfoot location in Calgary.
“This year has been very confusing and frustrating,” said Howden.
He said he’s hearing from many Albertans, including a lot of seniors who don’t know how to access the vaccine or whether they qualify for coverage through the government-run program. Some are worried about waiting too long for appointments, he said, and others are hoping to avoid the hassle.
He too has a waitlist and is concerned he’ll have to cancel appointments because he was unable to order doses as of late last week.
“It’s been a bit of a surprise to us about how much we would need, how much demand there is,” said Howden.
“It’s been a bit of a mess overall, to be honest.”
High demand
Pfizer Canada, which is supplying its Comirnaty vaccine for the private market, said demand this season has been higher than expected.
“Pfizer Canada remains committed to ensuring Canadians have access to our COVID-19 vaccine through both public programs and the private market,” a spokesperson said in a statement emailed to CBC News.
“Due to higher-than-anticipated seasonal demand, we have implemented temporary allocation measures to help manage supply and ensure equitable distribution across pharmacies and wholesalers.”
Limits have been placed on the quantities pharmcacies can order to avoid shortages, according to Pfizer.
“We expect additional inventory to arrive soon and are advancing shipments to Canada to help meet demand. Our goal is to return to normal ordering as quickly as possible,” the statement said.
McKesson Canada, a vaccine distributor, also acknowledged the supply issues.
“We are diligently working to bring the COVID-19 vaccine to market as swiftly as possible. The situation is primarily due to a manufacturer supply backlog,” an emailed statement from the company said.
“However, we want to assure our customers that we are actively managing available supply. “
Ministry defends rollout
The Alberta government said the vaccines available on the private market are separate from the government-run vaccine program.
“Alberta’s government does not play a role in private procurement or distribution; pharmacies must work directly with their suppliers to address any supply challenges,” said Maddison McKee, press secretary to the Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services, Adriana LaGrange.
McKee said more than 142,000 COVID doses had been administered through the provincial program as of Oct. 30, primarily Moderna’s formulation for people 12 and up and exclusively Moderna for kids under 12.
“There is no shortage of vaccines for our immunization program, and the number of doses administered by the end of the first week of this season is in line with last year’s levels (131,584 for 2025/26 vs. 164,514 for 2024/25),” the statement said.
The ministry is defending its approach and rollout.
“Provincially funded COVID-19 vaccines are being offered through public health sites to ensure those at highest risk can access the vaccine, while supporting effective inventory and resource management across the province,” the statement said in part.
“Primary Care Alberta continues to open new immunization appointments daily to meet growing demand. Health Link has increased staffing and extended its hours to respond to higher call volumes, and these measures will continue as needed.”
McKee says the ministry is closely monitoring the situation.
Meanwhile, in addition to stickhandling the private supply issues, Howden said he’s also spending a lot of time helping people access the COVID vaccine, and order online, through the provincial program
He believes the Alberta government should have allowed pharmacies to administer the shots through the public program.
“We could have done it in a very efficient way for the population, especially given that the vaccine this year is in individual doses,” said Howden, adding vaccine waste would have been minimal.
“I think the program could have been better administered and more cost-effective for the province to do it within the pharmacy setting.”
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