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Ravi Kahlon, B.C.'s Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation, has his provincial COVID-19 vaccine card scanned by White Spot restaurant general manager Bill Warwick before having breakfast in Delta, B.C., on Sept. 15.
DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
On Aug. 23, with the fourth wave of COVID-19 starting to build – and queues at vaccine clinics shrinking – the B.C. government announced plans to require vaccine passports to access restaurants and bars, sports events, theatres and gyms. Angry protests followed. But the policy has also driven a marked increase in vaccination rates.
While Alberta tried lotteries and $100 cash cards to entice vaccination holdouts, B.C. health officials, along with those in Ontario, Quebec and other provinces, calculated that it would take a tougher policy to boost rates. This week, after repeatedly ruling out such a policy, Alberta and Saskatchewan announced their own vaccine passport systems. And it seems Alberta is finally getting results.
More than anyone, it is young adults who have responded to B.C.’s passport program by booking their shots. The potential loss of social activities has proven to be a powerful tool of persuasion. In the three weeks since the policy was announced, more than 20,000 British Columbians between the ages of 18 and 24 have had their first shot of the vaccine – a significant jump in turnout from the trend over the summer. Just 351 individuals in that age group had registered for a vaccine the day before the announcement. The day after, registrations jumped to 2,030, and an average of 1,000 people have signed up every day for the past three weeks.
The vaccination rate for this cohort now is greater than the provincial average, and by next week, if the trend holds, 18-to-24-year-old British Columbians will be more likely to be vaccinated than the 65-to-69-year-olds who were offered the vaccine months ahead of them.
In contrast, Alberta’s incentive programs – starting with a lottery announced at the beginning of the summer and then, more recently, gift cards – have had little effect on boosting the province’s comparatively low vaccination rates. Provincial statistics show the lottery scheme did not prompt a wave of people to book appointments when it was announced in June, and the gift card announcement was followed by a noticeable but relatively small increase in bookings.
The day after Alberta reversed course this past Wednesday and announced a form of vaccine passport, bookings tripled to more than 25,000, Premier Jason Kenney said.
COVID-19 vaccinations in B.C. from Aug. 22 to Sept. 15
B.C.'s vaccine passport system was announced on Aug. 23
75-79 80+ 70-74 65-69 60-64 55-59 50-54 45-49 40-44 35-39 30-34 12-17 25-29 18-24 1,342 1,453 2,398 3,570 5,458 6,746 7,842 8,794 10,756 14,204 16,623 18,501 18,548 26,296 THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: B.C. Ministry of Health
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Age Group Number new 18-24 26296 25-29 18548 12-17 18501 30-34 16623 35-39 14204 40-44 10756 45-49 8794 50-54 7842 55-59 6746 60-64 5458 65-69 3570 70-74 2398 80+ 1453 75-79 1342
COVID-19 vaccinations in B.C. from Aug. 22 to Sept. 15 download csv
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Maxwell Neck, a 22-year-old in Vancouver, got his first shot after the passport policy was announced in B.C. “I wasn’t exactly jumping out of my seat to go get it,” he said. “This forced my hand. ... You pretty much can’t go anywhere, do most things, without it.”
Every week, Mr. Neck meets his father for a pint of beer and chicken wings. On Tuesday, he showed his vaccine card for the first time, so that he could keep his weekly visit. “I feel it is fundamentally wrong to force people to do this. But now I have made my choice, and I’m moving on.”
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said the vaccine passport was designed for all ages – but it is an especially important one for people in Mr. Neck’s age group.
“Younger people are more socially active and have seen high transmission rates compared to other groups. In that sense, this trend is very important,” he said in an interview. “While outcomes are obviously more serious amongst older people as a group, young people can, and do, get very ill.” There are 19 COVID-19 patients under the age of 40 in intensive care units in B.C. this week, he noted, and none of them are fully vaccinated.
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As of Sept. 13, people who want access to a range of non-essential indoor services in B.C. must show proof of at least one dose of a vaccine, with a second shot required by Oct. 24. The digital or paper vaccine card is required at settings such as ticketed sports events, concerts, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, casinos, gyms and movie theatres. The program is meant to encourage higher vaccination rates, but also promises more certainty for those businesses because they can offer their patrons a safer environment, with less chance of the kinds of closures or restrictions that have been imposed at different times since the pandemic triggered a public health emergency in March, 2020.
The marquee outside the Rio Theatre in Vancouver reads: “No vaccine, no silver screen.” Corrine Lea, the independent theatre’s chief executive officer, says the passport system is good for business. “I see this as a way to help the arts survive, by having only vaccinated people attending,” she said.
The theatre survived a long stretch shuttered because the pandemic restrictions, but now is allowed to operate with limited seating capacity. “Our ticket sales are fantastic. We are seeing prepandemic numbers even with only half-capacity,” Ms. Lea said. “The path forward is obvious.”
Mr. Kenney abandoned his earlier opposition to vaccine passports in the face of a health-care system on the verge of overload because of a growing number of critically ill COVID-19 patients. The program, which will allow businesses to avoid restrictions if they opt in and agree to verify the vaccination status of their customers, will be in place beginning on Monday.
COVID-19 vaccine doses in Alberta
Doses administered per day
First doses
Second doses
0 20,000 40,000 60,000 May 2021 June July Aug. Sept. Vaccine lottery announced Gift card incentive announced 26347.28571 3762.857143 THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: alberta health
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Date First doses Second doses 2021-05-01 26347.28571 3762.857143 2021-05-02 26381.71429 3518.428571 2021-05-03 26240.14286 3156.285714 2021-05-04 26104.28571 2811.285714 2021-05-05 27269.57143 2529.428571 2021-05-06 30837.28571 2506.571429 2021-05-07 33762.14286 2463.857143 2021-05-08 36311.71429 2477.857143 2021-05-09 37250 2491.428571 2021-05-10 38016.42857 2318.857143 2021-05-11 38774.28571 2184 2021-05-12 40094.14286 2002.428571 2021-05-13 41152.57143 1849.714286 2021-05-14 41744.71429 1714.857143 2021-05-15 42258.85714 1670.285714 2021-05-16 42588.71429 1632.571429 2021-05-17 41646 1658 2021-05-18 41618.71429 1792.571429 2021-05-19 41459.71429 2101.428571 2021-05-20 42985.14286 2483 2021-05-21 42581.57143 2884.714286 2021-05-22 41968.42857 3344.428571 2021-05-23 41391.28571 3486.428571 2021-05-24 40348.85714 3471.714286 2021-05-25 39502.42857 3637.428571 2021-05-26 38087.57143 3975.714286 2021-05-27 33716.85714 4500.142857 2021-05-28 31803.85714 5105.571429 2021-05-29 30466.14286 5496.428571 2021-05-30 29887 5645.142857 2021-05-31 30777.57143 6366.285714 2021-06-01 30051.28571 6973.857143 2021-06-02 28596.42857 9418.857143 2021-06-03 26084.14286 13558.85714 2021-06-04 23724.14286 17420.57143 2021-06-05 21807.42857 20193 2021-06-06 20675.14286 22149 2021-06-07 18852.14286 25164.42857 2021-06-08 17555.71429 27651.71429 2021-06-09 15799.85714 29023.42857 2021-06-10 13817.14286 29916.57143 2021-06-11 12043.57143 31986.85714 2021-06-12 10646.71429 33806.28571 2021-06-13 9654.142857 34970.57143 2021-06-14 8864.857143 37253.14286 2021-06-15 8289.285714 39523.14286 2021-06-16 7542.714286 41521.85714 2021-06-17 6947.142857 43838.42857 2021-06-18 6571.428571 45080 2021-06-19 6350.857143 46199.42857 2021-06-20 6243.857143 46183.57143 2021-06-21 6241.428571 46228.14286 2021-06-22 6263.285714 47421.28571 2021-06-23 6076.857143 47818.14286 2021-06-24 5497.571429 46404.57143 2021-06-25 5099.571429 47605.42857 2021-06-26 4837.571429 49369.57143 2021-06-27 4854.857143 51551 2021-06-28 4859.285714 54307.14286 2021-06-29 4834.142857 55961 2021-06-30 4896.857143 57208.71429 2021-07-01 4432.857143 54082.57143 2021-07-02 4267.714286 52269.57143 2021-07-03 4046.285714 50834.14286 2021-07-04 3883.428571 49202.85714 2021-07-05 3776.142857 46868.28571 2021-07-06 3667.571429 44998.71429 2021-07-07 3556.714286 42647.42857 2021-07-08 3898.571429 44314 2021-07-09 3829.428571 41950.14286 2021-07-10 3729.428571 38909.42857 2021-07-11 3737.571429 36791.57143 2021-07-12 3634.285714 33399.14286 2021-07-13 3474.857143 29352 2021-07-14 3258.857143 26666.71429 2021-07-15 3141.571429 25025.71429 2021-07-16 3102 23592.42857 2021-07-17 3081.285714 22978.28571 2021-07-18 3024.285714 22993.14286 2021-07-19 2977.142857 22450.57143 2021-07-20 2929.714286 22141 2021-07-21 2976.142857 22262.28571 2021-07-22 2989.428571 21638.71429 2021-07-23 2996.428571 21239 2021-07-24 3009.714286 20399 2021-07-25 3003.142857 19934.71429 2021-07-26 3033.857143 19568.28571 2021-07-27 3092.285714 19151.57143 2021-07-28 3096.142857 17662.14286 2021-07-29 3057.428571 16059.57143 2021-07-30 3007.285714 14304.14286 2021-07-31 2907 12873.14286 2021-08-01 2862 11924.28571 2021-08-02 2594.142857 10064.14286 2021-08-03 2578.285714 9194.428571 2021-08-04 2501.285714 8305.285714 2021-08-05 2381.857143 7495.571429 2021-08-06 2264 6771 2021-08-07 2219.714286 6487 2021-08-08 2204.571429 6407.285714 2021-08-09 2357.142857 6768.714286 2021-08-10 2252.714286 6324 2021-08-11 2189 6043.142857 2021-08-12 2172.857143 5759.428571 2021-08-13 2201 5525.428571 2021-08-14 2203.571429 5272 2021-08-15 2200.571429 5158 2021-08-16 2251.428571 5069.714286 2021-08-17 2280 4983 2021-08-18 2315.571429 4879.857143 2021-08-19 2351.857143 4767.428571 2021-08-20 2364.857143 4679 2021-08-21 2356.142857 4604.142857 2021-08-22 2344 4549.714286 2021-08-23 2351.857143 4465.571429 2021-08-24 2435 4456 2021-08-25 2552.285714 4442.285714 2021-08-26 2656 4442.142857 2021-08-27 2759.285714 4392.285714 2021-08-28 2820.857143 4405 2021-08-29 2856.571429 4401.571429 2021-08-30 2882 4320.857143 2021-08-31 2849 4217.714286 2021-09-01 2886.428571 4140.428571 2021-09-02 2977.571429 4106.285714 2021-09-03 3122.285714 4171 2021-09-04 3296.857143 4200.857143 2021-09-05 3389.571429 4226.571429 2021-09-06 3227.142857 3921 2021-09-07 3392.285714 3852.285714 2021-09-08 3397.428571 3705.428571 2021-09-09 3407 3560.714286 2021-09-10 3488.142857 3457.142857 2021-09-11 3474.285714 3376.714286 2021-09-12 3434.142857 3292.428571 2021-09-13 3853 3588.142857 2021-09-14 3953.428571 3649.142857 2021-09-15 4195.142857 3800.571429
COVID-19 vaccine doses in Alberta download csv
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Alberta does not collect vaccine data using the same age cohorts as B.C., but among 20-to-24-year-olds, just 68.9 per cent have had at least their first shot. The province also has the lowest vaccination rates in Canada and has been unable to close the gap. Saskatchewan is second lowest.
“We’ve seen from other jurisdictions that proof of vaccinations do help encourage people to get vaccinated, and I am calling on every eligible Albertan to get fully immunized as soon as possible,” said Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro.
Scott Lear, a Simon Fraser University professor who studies how people make decisions about their health, said he is not surprised by the increase in vaccinations under B.C.’s passport program. Quebec saw a doubling of registrations when it announced its vaccine passport plan, he noted.
Alberta’s initial attempt to offer incentives was destined for failure, he said. “Those types of incentives, they don’t work very well for a lot of things. Usually the people who benefit were the ones who were going to get vaccinated anyway.”
Prof. Lear said B.C. has made mistakes as well, pointing to Premier John Horgan’s appeal to young adults last March to curtail their social activities: “Do not blow this for the rest of us,” Mr. Horgan said at the time. It was a shame and blame tactic that likely backfired, the professor said.
The passport system now being introduced in both provinces strikes a balance, both a carrot and a stick, he said. “It’s providing a meaningful reason to get vaccinated.”
The challenge ahead for both provinces, he added, is to reach the remaining vaccine-hesitant population. “It was always the case that the large majority would line up. Getting to 70-per-cent vaccination rates was never going to be a challenge. But we are going to need more resources and ingenuity to get higher levels now.”
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