Monkeypox has landed in Ontario, and while the risk of infection for Hamiltonians is very low, public health is taking action.
The city hosts an emerging monkeypox vaccination clinic for at-risk residents on June 30 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the East End Public Health Clinic, 247 Centennial Pkwy. N., Unit 8. Prior appointment required.
The clinic is for people over the age of 18 who identify with men in the LGBTQ community who have sex with other men and to whom at least one of the following conditions applies:
- Identify yourself as a contact from a person who has recently tested positive for monkeypox;
- Have had two or more sexual partners in the last three weeks (21 days) or may be planning to do so;
- They have been diagnosed with a chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis infection for the past two months;
- Have attended baths, sex clubs and other places of sexual contact during the last 21 days (including workers and volunteers); o
- Having had anonymous or casual sex for the past three weeks (21 days); for example, after using an online dating app, engage or plan to engage in sex work.
Smallpox is spread by contact with body fluids, through respiratory drops after prolonged face-to-face contact or from bites and scratches from infected animals. Symptoms can take six to 13 days to appear after exposure to the virus.
Monkeypox can cause fever, headaches, swollen lymph nodes, rashes and exhaustion. Most people recover on their own without treatment.
As of Tuesday, there have been 67 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the lab in Ontario.
To book an appointment at the clinic, call the public health hotline at 905-974-9848, option 7.
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