Only men who have sex with men are currently eligible to be vaccinated against monkeypox in Manitoba, and no cases of the virus have been reported in the province amid a global outbreak that has prompted calls for a faster local vaccination campaign. WINNIPEG FREE PRESS In a screenshot from the press conference, Dr. Brent Roussin, provincial chief of public health, provides an update on monkeypox vaccination in the province. The province added more appointment times Thursday afternoon for vaccinations expected to be given starting next week and will report the number of doses to be administered on a weekly basis going forward, provincial public health chief Dr. Brent Roussin during a mock press conference that was his first public appearance since July 20.
Eligibility criteria
Vaccination is offered to self-identified gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men who meet one of the following criteria: • Have been diagnosed with chlamydia, gonorrhea, and/or syphilis in the past two months. • Have you had two or more sexual partners in the past 21 days?• Attend sex sites or plan to?• Have anonymous sex in the past 21 days or plan to?• Or engage in sex work or plan to, either as an employee either as a customer. People who have had close contact with someone with monkeypox are also eligible for post-exposure vaccination and should contact their local public health office to schedule a vaccine. Because it’s a “relatively scarce resource,” most of Canada’s Imvamune vaccine supply has been sent to provinces that already have widespread cases, and Manitoba is going to keep its supply numbers under wraps, Rusin said. “Right now in terms of the number of doses we’re getting, we’re not going to get involved in reporting that,” he said. “We secured a lot of doses, planned for clinics and distributed doses accordingly, and as you saw, they had a very rapid demand for it, so we immediately moved to get more vaccine into the jurisdiction.” He said a lack of supply was why appointment booking stopped hours after Manitoba extended eligibility on Monday to people who have not yet been exposed to monkeypox but are at the highest risk of becoming infected. Currently, most of the reported cases involve gay or bisexual men. The virus is mainly spread through prolonged physical contact – including sex – but is not a sexually transmitted infection. Anyone can become infected, although the current risk is low for the general population in Canada. Eligibility for the vaccine is not changing in Manitoba, even as more appointments open up, and Rusin said there are no plans to make the vaccine available at doctor’s offices or pharmacies. The vaccine is available at every public health district and eligible Manitoba residents outside of Winnipeg are advised to contact their local public health office. Bren Dixon, coordinator of the Manitoba Sexuality Education Resource Centre, said it’s not surprising that the initial appointments filled up so quickly. The queer community tends to be well-connected nationally and very “pandemic aware,” Dixon said, noting that many grassroots organizations — including Sunshine House, which held a webinar on the topic last week — educate humans for monkeypox for several months. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES The queer community tends to be well-connected nationally and very “pandemic conscious,” Bren Dixon said. “Queer people have a long history, especially post-HIV, of taking care of each other and being aware of our health and communicating when things are available to each other,” said Dixon, who was able to make an appointment for the vaccine after setting an alarm. , noting that it’s not that easy for everyone at risk. Wider access to vaccines at the community level would help, he said, especially given that some men who have sex with men are not out and will not attend a public health clinic. Cities like Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, which have already seen significant monkeypox transmission, have set up pop-up clinics in locations that cater to gay men. SUPPLIED Will Franklin secured a vaccine appointment for early next week after the holdup resumed Thursday. Will Franklin secured a vaccine appointment for early next week after the holdup resumed Thursday. He was surprised to find that appointment slots were already filled when he tried to book first thing on Tuesday morning, the second day of expanded eligibility, and said he felt at the time that people trying to access the vaccine were being treated . like second class citizens”. Only a few doses have been given in the province since June, when eligibility was limited to people who had likely already been exposed to someone with monkeypox. The province has faced criticism for not expanding eligibility sooner to prevent the spread of the virus. Now, there are calls for government and public health leaders to be more transparent about Manitoba’s supply level and future distribution plans, including its plan for second doses, which are recommended 28 days after the first. They are currently not scheduled for a second installment. The NDP and Liberals called on the government to improve its communication. “The Stefansson government is keeping people in the dark. If they don’t have enough monkeypox vaccines, they need to be honest and go on a strong communications campaign to fight stigma and protect Manitobans,” Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont said Thursday. “Clearly there is a breakdown here.” – Liberal leader Dougald Lamont “Clearly there is a breakdown here. All the money we spend on prevention now, we will save on preventing disease, misery and avoiding health care and business costs. We know there are challenges with vaccine access, so if we can’t make vaccines, what’s public health going to do?” NDP health critic Uzoma Asagwara, who uses non-binary pronouns, said they heard from some people who were concerned they couldn’t access the vaccine. The government’s lack of preventive information about monkeypox is “inexcusable”, they said. “Many of the questions I get from people in my constituency and more broadly across the province could be answered very easily if the government would just communicate with them,” Asagwara said, describing it as an opportunity to learn from the pandemic. COVID-19. DANIEL CRUMP / FREE PRESS FILES “Many of the questions I get from people in my constituency and more broadly across the province could be answered very easily if the government would just communicate with them,” Uzoma Asagwara said. Asked what COVID lessons Manitoba can apply to monkeypox, Roussin said it’s important to identify the highest-risk groups without stigmatizing them. Because of the way the virus spreads, he advised people to consider limiting their sexual partners, especially anonymous partners. The doctor also advised people to avoid skin-to-skin contact with people who are showing symptoms, practice good hand hygiene, regularly clean frequently touched items, avoid sharing personal items and avoid touching bedding or clothing someone diagnosed with or suspected of having monkeypox. People without Internet access can call Health Links at 204-788-8200 or toll-free 1-888-315-9257 to make an appointment or contact their local public health office. [email protected]
