Vaccine rollout expanding to Phase 2B
More than 945,000 Albertans with underlying health conditions are now eligible to book their COVID-19 vaccination.
Phase 2B of Alberta’s vaccine rollout includes cancer patients, transplant recipients, individuals with disabilities, dementia and other conditions that put them at higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19.
Starting March 30, Albertans born in or before 1963 with eligible underlying conditions will be able to book appointments through participating pharmacies that have vaccine supply in Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer. In the coming week, as more vaccine supply is available, other pharmacies will begin to offer bookings.
Starting April 5, Alberta Health Services (AHS) will start taking bookings for people eligible in Phase 2B born in or before 1959.
Additional birth years in Phase 2B will become eligible as more vaccines arrive.
“This is great news for vulnerable Albertans and another big step forward in our vaccine rollout. Anyone with these serious health conditions will now be eligible for vaccines that give effective protection from COVID-19. We’re ramping up our vaccinations as fast as the incoming vaccine supply allows. Every adult in Alberta will be offered a first dose by the end of June,” said Tyler Shandro, Minister of Health
Eligible health conditions
By the end of Phase 2B, all Albertans born in 2005 or earlier (ages 16 and up) with any of the following high-risk health conditions will be able to receive the vaccine:
A missing spleen or a spleen that is no longer working
Cancer
Chronic heart disease and vascular disease
Chronic kidney diseases requiring regular medical monitoring or treatment
Chronic liver disease due to any cause
Chronic neurological disease
Chronic respiratory (lung) diseases
Diabetes requiring insulin or other anti-diabetic medication to control
A weakened immune response due to disease or treatment
Anyone who is currently pregnant
Severe mental illness or substance use disorder requiring a hospital stay during the past year
Severe obesity
Severe or profound learning disabilities or severe developmental delay
Solid organ, bone marrow or stem cell transplant recipients
More specific information on each underlying health condition, including examples, is available at alberta.ca.
A doctor’s note or other proof of your condition is not required to get the vaccine in Phase 2B. However, you may want to talk to your doctor or pharmacist to help you understand if your condition is on this list.
The health conditions chosen for Phase 2B are associated with a higher risk of death or hospitalization from COVID-19 and were recommended by the Alberta Advisory Committee on Immunization.
How to book an appointment
To reduce delays and help appointments be booked quickly, Phase 2B will follow a staggered approach.
On March 30, Albertans born from 1957 to 1963 with underlying health conditions can book an appointment at participating pharmacies in Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer. To find the closest location to you with an earliest available booking date, check the list on Alberta Blue Cross.
Additional pharmacies will offer bookings starting the week of April 5 as more doses arrive. Please be patient; all eligible Albertans in Phase 2B will be able to book appointments in the coming weeks. Please do not call pharmacies that are not on the Alberta Blue Cross list, as they will not have appointments available; and please do not call pharmacies if you are not yet eligible to book.
Starting April 5, all eligible Albertans born in 1957, 1958 and 1959 will also be able to book appointments with AHS online or through 811.
Providing COVID-19 vaccine to homebound Albertans
The Government of Alberta is also making it easier for people who are physically unable to leave their homes to get vaccinated as quickly as possible.
Starting March 29, AHS will offer the vaccine to an estimated 3,000 homebound Albertans eligible in Phase 1 and 2A. The program will expand to Phase 2B individuals in the coming days and to other groups as they become eligible in upcoming phases of the provincial vaccination program.
Similar to how the annual influenza vaccine is provided to homebound individuals, the COVID-19 vaccine will be administered by AHS Public Health or Home Care, depending on the health zone.
Only homebound individuals are eligible to be vaccinated through this program, at this time. Caregivers, spouses, other household and family members are encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible, either at a participating pharmacy or AHS immunization site.
This will ensure homebound individuals, a vulnerable population who are at risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19, are vaccinated as quickly as possible, with the resources and vaccine supply available.
Alberta’s government is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting lives and livelihoods with precise measures to bend the curve, sustain small businesses, and protect Alberta’s health care system.
Quick facts
Anyone eligible in Phase 1 and 2A of Alberta’s vaccine rollout who hasn’t yet received the vaccine can continue to book their appointment through a participating pharmacy or AHS.
As of March 27, 594,723 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to Albertans.
AHS/Home Care will reach out to existing home care clients to arrange immunization.
Homebound individuals who receive home care do not need to book a COVID-19 immunization appointment with AHS (through the online tool or Health Link).
Homebound individuals who have questions about their eligibility, or the COVID-19 vaccine, are encouraged to reach out to their case manager.