The World Health Organization declared the virus a public health emergency of international concern over the weekend. Tam, the public health chief, said there have been 745 confirmed cases of monkeypox reported in Canada and 99 per cent of those affected are men with an average age of 36. Less than one percent of national cases involve women or people under the age of 20. Monkey pox circulates among men who have close contact with other men, although it can be transmitted by and to anyone, Tam said. “Learning from the HIV pandemic is very important, so engaging the communities most affected from the beginning to find solutions together will be our best weapon against the spread of this virus,” Tam said in a virtual press briefing. Tam said Public Health Canada is working with trusted groups to support men who have sex with men and make sure they have information about how to protect themselves from the disease. “We’re also working with apps, Grindr and others, to make sure people are getting the messages to connect them with the right information, as well as access the vaccine and know what to do if they think they might have chicken pox. monkeys”. he said. It’s also important that federal and provincial governments work with universities and colleges when students return in the fall, Tam added. Monkey pox 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 transmitted through contact with body fluids or scabs and contaminated personal items such as clothing, bedding, sex toys or toothbrushes. Monkeypox is a close relative of the extinct smallpox virus, and smallpox vaccines have been shown to be effective in fighting smallpox. The National Immunization Advisory Committee recommends that people with high-risk exposure to a confirmed or probable case of monkeypox receive a dose of Imvamune smallpox vaccine. The federal government has so far used more than 70,000 doses of the vaccine in provinces and territories and about 27,000 of them have been used. At the moment, Canada has limited vaccine, but there is still enough if the provinces need more. Vaccine availability varied from province to province. Quebec, with the most confirmed cases, has organized open vaccination clinics for members of the gay and bisexual community. In Alberta, where there have been only 12 confirmed cases, people have struggled to get a dose. Tam said public health units will handle the vaccine release differently depending on their individual situations, but increasing vaccine access is important “I think our social network is very connected across the country, but also globally, as you’ve seen, so even if a case doesn’t appear in one area of the country, it can arrive at any time.” Laura Osman, The Canadian Press Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Monkeypox
