New Brunswick completes COVID-19 booster shot rollout in nursing homes

Health officials in New Brunswick say they’ve administered booster shots of COVID-19 vaccine to all nursing home residents in the province.

Officials also say 82 per cent of residents in retirement homes have currently received a booster dose and they will complete that rollout by the end of the month.

Chief medical officer Dr. Jennifer Russell says the third shots of vaccine will reduce the risk of spread of the disease among vulnerable residents in care facilities.

The news came as New Brunswick reported 52 new cases of COVID-19 and 33 recoveries.

The total active case count in the province is now 523, including 16 people in hospital and 10 in intensive care.

The full vaccination rate in the province is now just over 86 per cent, and nearly 93 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers have had at least one dose.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2021.