The provincial health ministry says it is monitoring what is happening in Quebec and Ontario, where vaccination efforts are underway in Montreal, Ottawa and other cities. On Friday, health officials said the total number of confirmed infections reached 168 across Canada. Of these, 141 are located in Quebec, 21 in Ontario and four in Alberta. Two have been confirmed in BC The ministry told CTV News that the provincial health officer and the BC Center for Disease Control are working closely with provincial, territorial and federal services in a “coordinated response to the epidemic” to manage the disease. “We have a provincial case management team here in BC to closely monitor and manage the small number of cases reported to date,” said a spokesman.
WHAT HAPPENS IN BC
This answer for now is to ensure that cases are reported. Healthcare providers must use national case reporting forms and laboratory testing protocols must be in accordance with the Canadian Public Health Service. In addition, vaccination strategies are coordinated with officials outside of BC to “ensure that we prevent the spread of the virus as effectively as possible.” As for vaccines, they are currently only available in BC for close contact with confirmed cases, but the ministry said it was “working with at-risk communities to determine the need for wider vaccination campaigns”.
VACCINE CAMPAIGN ELSEWHERE
These campaigns, if needed, could be similar to those in Montreal and Toronto, the ministry said. In Montreal, the city’s vaccination campaign was expanded last week to include all men who have sex with men, as many cases have been linked to sexual contact between these groups. However, monkey pox can spread to anyone who has had close physical contact with an infected person, officials warn. In Toronto, vaccine clinics were open at the weekend to people over the age of 18 who are trans or transgender and identify as men and belong to the “gay, bisexual and other male-to-male community,” regional officials said. . To be eligible, they also had to: have come in contact with a person who tested positive for monkey pox. has had two or more sexual partners in the last 21 days; has been diagnosed with some sexually transmitted infections in the last 21 days; attended baths, club sex or other sexual intercourse in the last 21 days; or had anonymous or casual sex in the last 21 days. Ottawa also grants the vaccine to those considered “high priority individuals,” based on provincial eligibility data. Local public health officials said there would be direct contact with these people.
‘LIMITED STOCK’
As for why vaccines are not available to everyone, the BC Department of Health said that in essence, they just are not enough. “Health Canada maintains a limited supply of vaccine that protects against monkey pox,” the ministry said. This vaccine is called Imvamune and was originally developed to prevent the smallpox virus. It is approved for use by adults only in Canada. According to the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, those who received the smallpox vaccine when given systemically may already have some protection against monkeypox. Younger Canadian adults probably would not have received the vaccine, as most campaigns ended in the 1970s and the shots were fired only in emergencies. As of the beginning of this month, NACI recommended its use only to individuals who had been exposed to a confirmed or potential case or were in environments where transmission is known to occur. The vaccine is currently available through Health Canada to provincial public health authorities if there are cases of monkey pox, but it is not available to the general public, BC health officials said.
SYMPTOMS OF MONKEY
Monkey pox is a viral disease that is transmitted through direct contact with infected objects, humans and animals. Symptoms include lesions or sores on the skin, including the inside of the mouth and genitals and the anal area. People who suffer from monkey pox usually also have a fever and swollen lymph nodes, says Health Canada. The first signs include headache, muscle aches, back pain, chills and exhaustion, but some mild cases may go undiagnosed. Despite being transmitted to Canada, the disease is still considered rare. The best way to prevent transmission is to avoid people with the infection. Those diagnosed should isolate themselves if possible and cases should be reported. Hand washing and hand sanitizer can also help.
