At a press conference in Fredericton on Friday, May 21, 2021, New Brunswick Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Jennifer Russell and Minister of Health Dorothy Shephard announced a new milestone in the province's vaccine recovery: more than half of the province's eligible population has now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

“As of today, more than 52 per cent of New Brunswickers aged 12 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine,” said Minister Shephard. “We can all be proud of the progress we have made so far, but we must continue to focus on making sure as much of our population as possible is fully vaccinated before we can let down our guard.”

Dr. Russell said the province will continue to offer AstraZeneca as a second dose to consenting New Brunswickers.

“AstraZeneca is one of the vaccines we are using in Canada to fight COVID-19,” said Dr. Russell. “Because we know some people prefer it to one of the MRNA vaccines, we want to provide it as an option. For those who received the first dose of AstraZeneca but do not want AstraZeneca as a second dose, we expect to receive direction from the federal government soon on using another brand of vaccine as a booster.”

Public Health also confirmed today the death of a New Brunswicker, 50-59, who experienced a rare blood clot associated with low platelets known as vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), following vaccination with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. This was a previously reported case that was hospitalized.

“On behalf of all New Brunswickers, I extend heartfelt sympathies to the loved ones of this person,” said Shephard. “While this death is truly tragic, it is important to remember that the risks of dying from COVID-19 are far greater than the risks associated with receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine. I encourage everyone who is eligible to listen to the advice of Public Health and get vaccinated.”

The person received the AstraZeneca vaccine in mid-April and developed symptoms 17 days later. They went to an emergency room for treatment and were hospitalized.

“I offer my sincere condolences to the bereaved family and friends,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health. “Out of the hundreds of thousands of doses of AstraZeneca vaccine administered as part of the country’s massive vaccination campaign, there will be rare cases where thrombosis will occur. However, the risks remain minimal compared to the risks, complications and potential consequences of COVID-19.”

The number of confirmed cases in New Brunswick is 2,113. Since yesterday, five people have recovered for a total of 1,942 recoveries. There have been 43 deaths, and the number of active cases is 127. Seven patients are hospitalized in total. Six patients are hospitalized in New Brunswick, including two in an intensive care unit. One patient is hospitalized out of province in an intensive care unit.