Covid-19 Vaccination Decisions and Impacts of Vaccine Mandates: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Healthcare Workers in Alberta, Canada

This paper presents findings from a cross-sectional survey of 189 healthcare workers (HCWs) in Alberta, Canada, regarding their experiences with Covid-19 vaccination and workplace mandates. Unlike most research, which continues to focus on vaccine uptake and hesitancy, this study examines the impact of mandate enforcement on healthcare professionals’ ethical judgment, workplace dynamics, and clinical autonomy. Alberta’s polarized political context, combined with rapidly changing public health policies, provides a unique lens into broader tensions around pandemic governance. While most respondents had been vaccinated, nearly one-third identified workplace mandates—not medical judgment—as the primary reason for doing so. Many reported feeling coerced, lacking meaningful informed consent, and experiencing adverse events that were inadequately documented or dismissed by their institutions. Respondents, regardless of vaccination status, described long-lasting professional, economic, and psychological harms, including deteriorating morale, disrupted teamwork, and increased mistrust—impacts that extended beyond those who were terminated. Respondents also reported observing patient harms associated with the vaccines, especially among low-risk populations where the balance of risks and benefits remains dubious. The survey complements previous work in Ontario and British Columbia, confirming that vaccine mandates contributed to workforce destabilization and ethical injury. Our findings suggest that coercive health policies—justified by public safety but unsupported by transparent evidence—undermine trust, autonomy, and system resilience. They call for a re-evaluation of public health practices to ensure alignment with scientific integrity and core healthcare ethics.