Route links
- Local news
Ottawa Public Health administered 100 doses of smallpox vaccine over the weekend to people at high risk for the monkeypox virus. Photo by Julie Oliver / Postmedia
Content of the article
Just over a week after confirming the first case of smallpox in the city, Ottawa Public Health administered 100 doses of smallpox vaccine over the weekend to people at high risk of contracting the virus.
Announcement 2
This ad has not yet been uploaded, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
Smallpox vaccines, which many countries have as strategic storage, are effective against smallpox, which belongs to the same family of viruses.
At Monday’s health board meeting, Dr. Vera Etches said the OPH plans to expand access to the vaccine for people at high risk, including offering clinics.
The OPH confirmed the first case of smallpox in the city on June 10. The infected individual has since recovered and his close contacts have been vaccinated. There are three additional suspicious cases in Ottawa. As of June 16, Health Canada reported 168 confirmed cases of smallpox nationwide, most of them in Quebec. There are 33 confirmed cases in Ontario and dozens of suspected or probable cases, most in Toronto.
Announcement 3
This ad has not yet been uploaded, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
Smallpox is endemic to parts of West Africa, but is rarely seen outside these countries. The current outbreak, which includes at least 2,100 cases in 42 non-endemic countries, is unprecedented and is spreading rapidly.
Smallpox is lighter than smallpox, which was eradicated by global health efforts in 1980.
Etches said OPH is working with groups to raise awareness about monkeypox and will continue to look at the need for vaccination.
Most cases of smallpox have been in men who have sex with men and their contacts. World health authorities have warned that the infection, which causes rashes, blisters and some flu-like symptoms, can be transmitted by anyone through close contact and is not strictly a sexually transmitted disease.
Announcement 4
This ad has not yet been uploaded, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
But sexual contact has been a focus of the province’s efforts to prevent the spread of monkeypox. The province has identified people with a recent history of sexually transmitted infection, with two or more sexual partners in recent weeks, and those who have attended sexual intercourse sites during the same period as a higher risk of monkeypox.
In Toronto, public health has conducted two weekend vaccination clinics for people over the age of 18 who belong to “the community of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.”
Etches said OPH works with the Ontario Ministry of Health, Public Health and local infectious disease experts to respond to any additional suspicious cases and to make sure local doctors know what to look for.
Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, headache, exhaustion, and rash with lesions. The rash often appears on the face and limbs a few days after the other symptoms, and can spread to other parts of the body.
The Ottawa AIDS Committee will hold an information session on monkeypox on Thursday from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm with Dr. Paul McPherson, an infectious disease expert. Contact cory@aco-cso.ca for more information.
Share this article on your social network
Announcement 1
This ad has not yet been uploaded, but your article continues below.
Sign up to receive daily news from the headlines of Ottawa Citizen, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.
By clicking the sign up button, you agree to receive the previous Postmedia Network Inc. newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300
Thanks for signing up!
A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, check your junk folder.
The next issue of Ottawa Citizen Headline News will soon be in your inbox.
We encountered a problem registering you. Please try again
Comments
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil discussion forum and encouraging all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments can take up to an hour to moderate before appearing on the site. We urge you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We’ve enabled email notifications – you will now receive an email if you receive a response to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you are following, or if a user is still commenting. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.