The British Columbia government says the monkeypox vaccine is available to eligible patients in most areas of the province.
A statement from the Department of Health said cases of the virus are low in British Columbia, but some community transmission has been identified, so the vaccine is available in the Vancouver, Coast, Fraser Island and Interior health regions.
Priority is being given to patients in the Lower Mainland, where most of the infections occurred, and contact tracing is underway to identify any others who could benefit from the vaccine.
The ministry says 61 monkeypox cases have been identified in British Columbia as of Wednesday, with 54 in Vancouver Coaster, three in Fraser Health and four on Vancouver Island.
Of the 14,480 doses of BC vaccine received, the ministry says about half had been administered to high-risk people by Monday.
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The ministry says monkeypox, a member of the same family of viruses that causes smallpox, does not spread easily between people and all identified cases in the province involved prolonged skin-to-skin contact, which is the suspected primary source of infection.
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The Public Health Agency of Canada has urged gay and bisexual men to practice safe sex and limit the number of sexual partners they have to reduce their risk of contracting the disease, which is mostly spread among men who have sex with men.
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Monkeypox can occur in two stages, with flu-like symptoms first followed by a rash, usually with sores or blisters, although many people only get the rash.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 21,148 cases of monkeypox have been reported worldwide, with most of the cases identified in 71 countries, including Canada, that have not previously reported the disease.
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Last week, the director-general of the World Health Organization declared the escalating global outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
© 2022 The Canadian Press
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