Ottawa Public Health is beginning to administer the monkeypox vaccine to eligible residents, a week after the first case was confirmed in the capital.
On Friday, there were 30 cases of smallpox in Ontario, including 26 in Toronto and one in Ottawa. According to Public Health Ontario, there are two suspected cases of smallpox under investigation in Ottawa.
The health unit says it is “closely monitoring” the smallpox situation, adding that the risk to the public remains “very low”.
“OPH has been offering and administering vaccines to help protest those who have had close contact with someone who tested positive for monkeypox,” an Ottawa Public Health statement said.
“We have been and will continue to do so with all close contacts.”
Ottawa Public Health received a very limited supply of vaccines on Thursday to provide protection to those at “highest risk.”
“We will start offering vaccinations this weekend to people of the highest priority based on the latest provincial eligibility criteria,” OPH said. “Those who are eligible will be contacted directly. As supply increases, we will continue to work with community partners to expand access to anyone eligible.”
Smallpox is a rare viral disease caused by a virus that is commonly endemic to Central and West Africa. Health officials have said that the monkey’s smallpox is transmitted from person to person through contact with infected lesions, scabs or body fluids.
“Most of the transmission of monkeypox in Canada has occurred between close contacts such as intimate partners or household members,” Ottawa Public Health says on its website.
Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, exhaustion, swollen lymph nodes, and new rashes or injuries.
Two more eligible monkeypox vaccination clinics were being held in Toronto.
Toronto officials said the clinics are for people over the age of 18 who are transgender or cisgender who identify as male and “in the community of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.”
With files by Katherine DeClerq of CTV News Toronto