This study aims to examine public attitudes and beliefs regarding mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies in Alberta, Canada, during the province’s fourth wave of the pandemic in September 2021. A total of 9,400 posts and comments published between September 1 and September 30, 2021, were collected from the r/Alberta subreddit using Pushshift.io. Content was manually reviewed to assess relevance to the study objectives and subsequently analyzed using inductive coding and an iterative qualitative analysis approach. The qualitative analysis identified five central themes: (1) perspectives related to personal autonomy and consent, (2) concerns surrounding the enforcement of COVID-19 vaccine passports, (3) distrust and criticism of government actions, (4) logistical challenges associated with passport implementation, and (5) views on the role of vaccine passports in avoiding further lockdowns. Overall, discussions within r/Alberta reflected predominantly supportive attitudes toward the implementation of a vaccine passport in Alberta. Opposition to vaccination and mandates tended to be less extreme than what has been reported in prior literature, potentially reflecting the moderation practices of the subreddit. While apprehensions regarding bodily autonomy were the most prominent source of resistance, concerns related to government authority and practical implementation were also significant factors shaping public discourse.
