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Public Health Sudbury and Districts offers a monkeypox vaccine to those who are eligible.
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“Imvamune is currently being used … in Ontario for individuals in locations with confirmed cases,” Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, the region’s medical officer of health, said in a letter.
“Given the limited supply of this vaccine, Ontario is using a ring approach to vaccination. Eligible individuals are offered one dose of Imvamune or two doses if eligible individuals are immunocompromised.’
Public Health’s Elm Place office in Sudbury (10 Elm St., Unit 130) and Réseau ACCESS Network will provide, by appointment, Imvamune to eligible individuals who would like to receive the vaccine. Public Health will also coordinate to ensure it is available throughout its catchment area if needed.
Those eligible for the vaccine include trans- or cis-gender individuals who self-identify as gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men if at least one of the following conditions is present:
- You have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted bacterial infection (such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis) within the last two months. You have had two or more sexual partners in the past 21 days, or may be planning to.
- You have visited places of sexual contact in the last 21 days (such as bathrooms, sex clubs) or may plan to, or who work or volunteer to work in these settings.
- You’ve had anonymous sex in the last 21 days (for example, using hookup apps), or maybe plan to do so.
- They engage in sex work or perhaps plan their sexual intercourse as well.
In addition, those who are immunocompromised, pregnant, or breastfeeding may be at higher risk of severe illness from monkeypox infection. These individuals should contact public health for consideration of the vaccine if they are at risk of contracting monkeypox.
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Eligible individuals should call Public Health at 705.522.9200, ext. 482, (toll free 1-866-522-9200) or Réseau ACCESS Network at 705-688-0500.
For case management and contact information, contact the Infectious Disease Control Program at 705-522-9200, ext. 772 (toll free 1-866-522-9200).
Sudbury has only had one case of the virus so far, but the World Health Organization declared monkeypox a global health emergency on July 23.
The once-rare disease has been found in parts of central and west Africa for decades, but was not known to cause large outbreaks outside the continent or spread widely among humans until May, when authorities discovered dozens of outbreaks in Europe, North America and elsewhere.
To date, more than 22,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in almost 80 countries since May, with about 75 suspected deaths in Africa, mostly in Nigeria and Congo. On Friday, Brazil and Spain reported monkeypox-related deaths, the first reported outside Africa. Spain reported a second death from monkeypox on Saturday.
The virus is spread through prolonged and close skin-to-skin contact, as well as by sharing bedding, towels and clothing. In Europe and North America, it has spread mostly among men who have sex with men, although health officials stress that the virus can infect anyone.
The type of monkeypox virus identified in this outbreak is rarely fatal, and people usually recover within weeks. But the lesions and blisters caused by the virus are painful.
– with files from the Associated Press
sud.editorial@sunmedia.ca
Twitter: @SudburyStar
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