Men who have sex with men should practice safe sex and reduce the number of partners they have to limit the spread of monkeypox in Canada, Dr. Theresa Tam advised Wednesday.
The World Health Organization declared the virus a public health emergency of international concern over the weekend.
Tam, the chief public health officer, said there were 745 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Canada and 99 percent of those affected were men, with an average age of 36.
Less than one percent of national cases involve women or people under the age of 20.
Monkeypox circulates among men who have intimate contact with other men, although it can spread from and to anyone, Tam said.
“Learning from the HIV pandemic is very important, which is why engaging communities most affected early on to find solutions together will be our best weapon against the spread of this virus,” Tam said in a virtual press briefing.
Tam said the Public Health Agency of Canada is working with trusted groups to support men who have sex with men and make sure they have information on how to protect themselves from the disease.
“We’ve also worked with apps, Grindr and others to make sure people get the messages to connect them with the right information, and that they have access to the vaccine and know what to do if they think they might have monkeypox,” she said.
It’s also important that the federal and provincial governments work with universities and colleges when students return in the fall, Tam added.
Monkeypox is associated with a painful rash that may be accompanied by fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, and body aches.
Although not strictly considered a sexually transmitted infection, it is spread through contact with bodily fluids or scabs and contaminated personal items such as clothing, bedding, sex toys or toothbrushes.
Monkeypox is a close relative of the eradicated smallpox virus, and smallpox vaccines have proven effective in fighting monkeypox.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends that people with high-risk exposure to a confirmed or probable case of monkeypox receive a dose of Imvamune smallpox vaccine.
So far, the federal government has deployed more than 70,000 doses of the vaccine to provinces and territories, and about 27,000 of those have been used.
For now, Canada has a limited supply of the vaccine, but there is still enough if the provinces need more.
Vaccine coverage varies by province. Quebec, with the most confirmed cases, held open vaccine clinics for members of the gay and bisexual community. In Alberta, where there are only 12 confirmed cases, people have had a harder time getting a dose.
Tam said public health units will handle the vaccine rollout differently depending on their individual situations, but increasing vaccine access is important
“I think our social network is very much connected across the country and also globally, as you’ve seen, so even if a case is not seen in one area of the country, it could arrive at any moment.”
Laura Osman, The Canadian Press
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