Eligible Toronto residents can now book appointments to receive the monkeypox vaccine at city clinics.
The City of Toronto says appointments will be available for booking starting at 9:30 a.m. Friday and can be made through the Toronto Public Health Appointment Booking System. Appointments are preferred, but in-person visits will be taken, the city says.
To be eligible for vaccination, residents must identify as transgender, part of the LGBTQ2S+ community, as a man who has sex with other men, and have at least one of the following:
-
A sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the past two months, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis
-
Two or more sexual partners in the last 21 days or may be planning to
-
Attending a bathhouse, sex club or similar place for sexual contact in the past 21 days or may be planning to do so, or volunteering in such settings
-
Anonymous/casual sex in the past 21 days or may be planning to, including using online dating or hookup apps
-
Engage or plan to engage in sex work and the people with whom you have sexual contact
Current clinic location hours are:
-
Metro Hall, 214 Wellington St. W., from Monday to Thursday, from 12 to 6 p.m. Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
-
Cloverdale Mall, 250 the East Mall, Tuesday through Friday, noon to 6 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
-
1940 Eglinton, 1940 Eglinton Ave. E., from Tuesday to Friday, from 12 to 6 p.m. Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Earlier this week, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kieran Moore, said that 20,000 Ontarians have so far received the Imvamune smallpox and monkeypox vaccine, and that the effort by vaccination helped to delay the transmission of the virus.
MONKEYPOX IN ONTARIO
Weekly data provided by Public Health Ontario says there are now 478 confirmed cases in Ontario, up from 449 last week.
Among the confirmed cases, 75% (359) are residents of Toronto.
Fifteen people have required hospitalization since May, and two people have required treatment in an intensive care unit.
The most common symptoms continue to be skin rashes, oral/genital lesions, fever and fatigue.