80% of eligible Albertans now fully vaccinated

More than 3.2 million Albertans are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19 after receiving two vaccine doses.

Since Sept. 15, about 264,000 additional Albertans have received a first dose of vaccine and 293,000 have received a second dose.

All eligible Albertans are strongly encouraged to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to help prevent transmission and protect the health-care system.

Vaccines are safe and they are effective.

“More and more Albertans are choosing to be protected against COVID-19 because of the undeniable fact that vaccines work and they save lives. It’s great news that we’ve reached this milestone that will also help to ease the pressure on our health-care system in the future,.” stated Jason Kenney, Premier.

“We are committed to ensuring as many Albertans as possible get vaccinated as soon as possible. That’s why clinics and pharmacies across the province continue to offer vaccinations with little to no wait. If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to get vaccinated. If you have concerns, speak to a trusted health-care professional and get the information you need to make an informed decision,” saysJason Copping, Minister of Health.

“Vaccines are highly effective at protecting us from severe illness. While we continue to see the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations decline, this trend could reverse quickly if we are not careful. We need as many people as possible to choose vaccine protection to help keep numbers moving in the right direction,” said Dr. Deena Hinshaw, chief medical officer of health

As of Oct. 25, anyone accessing a business, venue and service participating in the Restrictions Exemption Program (REP) will need to provide government-issued proof of having received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days earlier. The REP was implemented to provide Albertans a way to safely go about activities that would otherwise create a high risk of community spread for participants.

Those who are not fully vaccinated can still choose to provide a privately paid negative COVID-19 test from within the previous 72 hours or valid proof of medical exemption.

More than 87 per cent of eligible Albertans have received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

While first doses provide strong protection against severe outcomes from COVID-19, second doses are needed to get the best and most long-lasting protection against the virus.

Albertans can book vaccine appointments by visiting alberta.ca/vaccine.