Toronto Public Health (TPH) and its community partners will run monkey vaccination clinics to help protect at-risk individuals.
TPH said there would be 24 vaccination options next week to “protect residents and help curb the spread of the virus”.
Read more: Toronto Public Health confirms first case of monkeypox virus
There will be two vaccination clinics on Saturday.
The first will take place at The 519, located at 519 Church Street between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
The other will take place in the Metro Hall, located at 55 John Street, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
According to TPH, the clinics will offer vaccination to those who “meet the provincial criteria”. More information can be found on the city’s website.
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. @ TOPublicHealth and community partners hosting monkey vaccination clinics to protect people at risk
News release: https://t.co/W9XSex8N4l
– City of Toronto (@cityoftoronto) June 17, 2022
According to data released by Public Health Ontario, as of June 13, there were 18 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Toronto. There are also nine possible cases and 14 suspicious cases that are being investigated.
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TPH said it follows federal and provincial guidelines for the use of Imvamune vaccines.
According to TPH, the clinics are designed for people aged 18 and over who are “transgender or cisgender individuals who self-identify as men and belong to the gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men” and at least one of the following:
- Identified as close contact with someone who recently tested positive for monkeypox
- He has had two or more sexual partners in the last 21 days or plans to do so
- He was diagnosed with chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis infection in the last two months
- He has been to sex clubs, baths or other places of sexual contact for the past 21 days
- Has had anonymous or casual sex in the last 21 days, including after using an online dating or dating app, or is engaged in or plans to engage in sex work
TPH said the virus is spread among humans through contact with infected lesions, skin scabs, body fluids or through respiratory secretions.
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It can also be spread by contact with contaminated materials such as bed linen or clothing.
“Anyone can get monkeypox, but gays, bisexuals and men who have sex with men have been affected in a number of countries during the epidemic,” the statement said.
Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches, exhaustion, followed by the development of a rash or lesions.
Read more: Monkeypox patients should be isolated, healthcare professionals should wear PPE: Public Health Ontario
“The rash or lesion often appears within a few days of the onset of symptoms, starting in the face and spreading to other parts of the body,” the statement said. “Most people recover from monkeypox on their own without treatment.”
TPH said anyone with these symptoms was asked to report them to their healthcare provider as soon as possible.
In a statement, Toronto Mayor John Torrey thanked TPH and its community partners for “working together to help host monkey vaccination clinics to help protect people against the virus.”
“I encourage people to listen to public health advice and get vaccinated if they think they are at risk of contracting the virus,” he said.
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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