Doctors fear Alberta bill of rights changes may discourage vaccination uptake

Questions about health and bill of rights Alberta's health minister says changes to the province bill of rights will enshrine personal freedoms. Chelan Skulski reports.

Adriana LaGrange insists changes to the province's bill of rights will solidify personal freedoms around bodily autonomy, but Alberta's health minister wouldn't provide an example of when that right was violated, instead urging people to wait to see the legislation.

It comes as doctors worry the new legislation could discourage more Albertans from getting a vaccine.

In a video posted online Tuesday, Premier Danielle Smith announced changes to Alberta's bill of rights she says will protect Albertans' right to refuse a vaccination or other medical treatment.

The changes will "reinforce the right of every Albertan to make their own choices regarding medical treatments they receive," Smith said in the video.

LaGrange wouldn't clarify on Wednesday how the province will define who has the freedom to make those medical decisions, instead urging Albertans to wait to "actually see the wording of the bill."

"It will be balanced to make sure we have the ability to function as a society as well and to ensure the safety of all," she told media.

"There is a reasonableness (in) language in there."

Now, a group of doctors with the Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association is concerned the province is prioritizing protecting Albertans' rights to refuse vaccines over education about vaccine safety.

Dr. Steve Fisher, an emergency room physician at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, told CTV News Edmonton on Wednesday the group wonders where the government's priorities lie.

"Are they supportive of vaccination campaigns?" Fisher said.

"We are concerned about the overall message that sends on the importance of vaccination, and we just want our government and our health minister to be advocates of the best preventive form of health care."

Health law expert Lorian Hardcastle says the broader implications of the bill are not clear.

She said some people worry the bill might reduce the uptake of vaccines across the province and that it might "tie the hands of governments and other decision-makers in a future public health emergency."

Hardcastle, an associate professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary, says it could prevent employers from requiring vaccines and prevent regulatory colleges from disciplining members who spread misinformation.

"(Or) is this just affirming existing legal rights because people are concerned with what went on during the pandemic and perhaps a nod to anti-vax members of the government space?" Hardcastle told CTV News Edmonton.

Smith said Wednesday in Calgary she campaigned in the 2023 election on ensuring Albertans wouldn't be "forced to take a medical treatment they don't want to take."

She told media the changes to the bill were also informed by a $2-million pandemic review by Preston Manning she ordered to make good on a promise of strengthening Albertans' rights.

"I hope that's how people look at this," Smith said.

"This is me keeping my commitment that I made when I got elected."