FREDERICTON — New Brunswick is expanding COVID-19 vaccination eligibility to include children who are turning 12 this year. 

Education Minister Dominic Cardy said today the change will help support healthy and safe schools by allowing a greater number of students to be vaccinated.

Ontario has also announced that kids turning 12 in 2021 can get vaccinated. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is authorized for use in Canada for people 12 and older, while the other vaccines are only authorized for use on adults.

As of today, 73.8 per cent of New Brunswickers aged 12 and older are fully vaccinated and 83.8 per cent have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.  

The province is reporting 15 new cases of COVID-19 today. Ten new cases are in the Moncton region, while there are three in the Miramichi area and two in the Fredericton region.   

There are 167 active reported cases of COVID-19 in the province and three people are hospitalized with the disease.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 24, 2021. 

The Canadian Press