Lorian Hardcastle, University of Calgary associate professor, discusses Alberta’s health care system and the availability of vaccinations with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Michael Higgins: Let’s start on that lack of vaccine availability at medical and nurse practitioner clinics. It’s been reported the government doesn’t have a vendor for vaccine distribution and that a contract with a company expired in April. What is to be made of that rationale?
Lorian Hardcastle: I think it’s problematic and that they need to address that issue and find a vendor that’s willing to take on that contract, or work with the existing vendor to find terms and conditions they’re amenable to, because having vaccines available in your own family doctor’s office or your own nurse practitioner’s office may be more convenient for people than going to a pharmacy.
Also, your own trusted health care professional may be able to persuade people to get vaccinated who might not …