EDMONTON — Premier Jason Kenney says Alberta will not be following Quebec's plan to impose a financial penalty on those who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Kenney says the data shows the unvaccinated are proving to be a vastly greater burden on the hospital system than the vaccinated, but making them pay extra would not be fair.
He says the fee would violate the principle of universality of care in Canada's health system.
He notes that it would be akin to making a smoker pay more for lung cancer treatment.
Kenney made the comments last night during a Facebook town hall meeting, which took written questions from Albertans.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault announced earlier Tuesday that he planned to make the unvaccinated pay a "significant" financial penalty given that they are occupying a disproportionate number of beds in the hospital system.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 12, 2022.
The Canadian Press
