Sydney, Nov 11 (IANS): A total of 71.1 per cent of the population aged 12-15 in Australia's state of New South Wales (NSW) have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, while 90.4 per cent of those aged 16 and over have done so, according to figures released by NSW Health on Thursday.

However, as vaccination rates in the state soared, the youngest community members remained susceptible, reports Xinhua news agency.

Local newspaper Sydney Morning Herald reported on Thursday that more than 270 NSW schools and 300 childcare centers had been closed due to Covid-19 cases during the past month.

Schools notified of a case usually close for up to two days to allow time for cleaning and contact tracing of the disease.

Last week, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews expressed optimism about having children in the age group of 5-11 vaccinated this year.

But some immunization experts called for caution before the nation's regulatory authority, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), greenlights such a move, citing more complex balance of risks and benefits of vaccination in children than in adults.

On Thursday, NSW recorded 261 new locally acquired cases, three new cases from overseas and one related death in the past 24 hours.