Cards on the table: proof-of-vax passports nearly 19 times pricier than health cards Province opted for plastic at $1.67 apiece over paper at less than a dime; 1.25 million produced at total cost of $6.2M Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
By: Maggie Macintosh Posted: 6:14 PM CST Monday, Mar. 4, 2024

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This article was published 04/03/2024 (588 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba government spent nearly 19 times more money to make proof-of-immunization cards during the COVID-19 pandemic than it does on paper health cards.

It cost $1.67 to produce each plastic credential. The price tag of making a permanent health card is less than 10 cents.

New data shows the rollout of temporary passports equipped with QR codes — an incentive to get two vaccine doses — cost approximately $6.2 million.

The 2021 research and card-development process came out to $4.1 million overall, according to a freedom of information request filed by the Free Press.

Figures from the Consumer Protection and Government Services Department indicate the cost of buying and distributing the specialized identification was just under $2.1 million.

The IDs complemented virtual cards and allowed recipients entry into public facilities, businesses and crowded events between June 2021 and March 2022. They were useful during a nine-month window.

“It’s pretty ludicrous for the province to spend $6 million on heavy-duty plastic vaccine cards when the government knew the program was likely going to be temporary,” said Gage Haubrich, Prairie director at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

Haubrich said it was a “fool-hearted decision” to fork out so much money on the cards at a time when spending was up significantly to address pandemic expenses.

The equivalent certificates in Saskatchewan were printed on paper, not unlike Manitoba’s permanent health cards, he said, adding there was no local “exit strategy” to inform residents what to do with their hard-copy cards once restrictions were eased.

“It’s pretty ludicrous for the province to spend $6 million on heavy-duty plastic vaccine cards when the government knew the program was likely going to be temporary.”–Gage Haubrich

Progressive Conservative spokesman Matt Preprost said the pandemic had a significant impact on Manitobans and required “an extraordinary whole of government response to keep communities healthy and safe.”

“As the auditor general concluded, the Manitoba government effectively managed the vaccine rollout, helping people get back to their lives and businesses get back to work,” Preprost said in a statement.

This month marks two years since the former PC government began permanently easing COVID-19 restrictions to, as then-premier Heather Stefanson put it, welcome a “new normal.”

As of March 1, 2022, Manitobans were no longer required to show proof of vaccination to enter public venues. Indoor mask mandates and all other public health orders ended two weeks later.

“We need to end the divisiveness between families, between communities. We need to move forward,” Stefanson said at the time of the announcement, which was made as so-called freedom fighters — many of whom parked their big-rig cabs along Memorial Boulevard — protested outside the Manitoba Legislative Building.

FOI data shows 1.25 million immunization cards were made in Manitoba.

Cardholders were initially exempt from quarantine periods following both interprovincial travel and close contact with a COVID-19 case. The wallet-sized ID allowed individuals greater visiting privileges at hospitals and personal-care homes.

The perks of holding a vaccine passport changed as public health orders grew.

The Manitoba Health Coalition’s Molly McCracken said their cost should be measured “by their utility in the public health response to the pandemic.”

“The cards enabled people to travel domestically, attend sporting and cultural events, and enabled the loosening of public health restrictions. The cards helped with economic development and to aid in improving mental health by decreasing social isolation,” McCracken said via email, noting the credentials motivated some people to get vaccinated.

NDP press secretary Caedmon Malowany echoed those comments, saying COVID-19 immunization cards played an important role during an unprecedented time.

While the cards are no longer in use, the current government “strongly” recommends Manitobans continue to protect themselves and their communities with seasonal flu and COVID-19 vaccinations, Malowany said.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca