Manitoba will make more appointments available for the monkeypox vaccine.
According to the province’s website, those eligible for the vaccine are people who identify as gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) and who meet one of the following criteria:
- having received a diagnosis of chlamydia, gonorrhea and/or syphilis in the last two months;
- having had two or more sexual partners in the last 21 days;
- have attended places of sexual contact (for example, baths or sex clubs) or plan to do so;
- have had anonymous sex in the last 21 days or plan to do so; or
- engage in or plan to engage in sex work, either as a worker or client.
People who were in close contact with someone with monkeypox are also eligible. They can book appointments online, call Health Links-Info Santé at 204-788-8200 or toll-free at 1-888-315-9257, or contact their local public health office to make an appointment.
So far, there are no confirmed cases of monkeypox in Manitoba, but as of yesterday (Wednesday), there were 1,008 confirmed cases in Canada.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Brent Roussin noted that many of the cases in Canada and around the world have been reported among men who have sex with men.
However, Roussin said, while monkeypox is not considered a sexually transmitted disease, it is usually spread through close and sustained physical contact. He shared some preventative measures people can take:
- Consider limiting the number of people you have close skin-to-skin contact with;
- avoid skin-to-skin or face-to-face contact with anyone who has symptoms, and especially avoid touching any rash;
- wash your hands regularly with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer;
- cleaning regularly touched objects and surfaces (eg doorknobs, telephones, counters, etc.) with standard household disinfectants;
- do not share personal items (eg towels, bedding, toothbrushes, sex toys, etc.) with other people;
- wear a mask if you are around someone who has symptoms;
- avoid touching bedding and clothing that has been used by someone who has chicken pox;
- Stay home if you are sick and encourage others to do the same; i
- get vaccinated if you are eligible.
When asked about Manitoba’s vaccine supply, Roussin would not say how much supply the province has, repeating that it is a scarce resource because it is being used in other provinces that have more cases. He also mentioned that only a handful of vaccine doses were available in June and that the province had ordered some.
“This availability of appointments will continue to be based on the demand for immunizations in the eligible population, which we are following quite closely.” Roussin said.
He said the province will report weekly smallpox vaccination numbers starting next week. You can find more information here.