York Region Public Health is holding monkeypox vaccine clinics for residents who may be at a higher risk of contracting the virus.
The clinics will offer the Imvamune vaccine for free to trans or cis gender men who identify as part of the gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men community over the age of 18 or meet one of the following criteria:
- have been diagnosed with a bacterial sexually transmitted infection such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis in the past two months
- have had two or more sexual partners in the past 21 days or are planning to
- have attended or worked/volunteered in a venue of sexual contact (bath houses or sex clubs) in the past 21 days or plan to
- have had anonymous or casual sex in the past 21 days or is planning to
- engage in sex work or plans to.
These people can attend one of the clinics in York Region either as a walk-in or by making an appointment. The vaccines will be given one-on-one in a private room.
There is a clinic in Newmarket at 17150 Yonge St. on the third floor. There is another at 50 High Tech Rd. in Richmond Hill on the second floor and another in Vaughan at 9060 Jane St. on the first floor.
On July 7, York Region announced its first confirmed cases of monkeypox. Two cases were confirmed in the region and they were not connected to each other. As of July 28, there were three confirmed cases in York, according to data from Public Health Ontario.
Symptoms of the virus include fever, headache, muscle or body ache, exhaustion, swollen lymph nodes, and a new rash or sores. Anyone who thinks they have monkeypox should isolate and contact their primary care provider.
The virus does not spread easily through humans but can be spread through very close contact like people you live with or intimate activity.
Monkeypox is not limited to any specific group but the World Health Organization (WHO) said on July 18 that "cases have been identified through sexual health clinics in communities of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men."
WHO said while it is not limited to this community, it is important for people who are part of the community to learn about the virus and prevent its spread.
On July 23, WHO declared the global monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Globally, at that time the vast majority of cases were in Europe.
As of July 29, there were 803 monkeypox cases in Canada and 367 in Ontario.
More information about the virus and links to book a vaccine appointment for those who meet the criteria can be found online.
— With files from Joseph Quigley
