Public health officials in Ottawa are ramping up a vaccination program to limit the spread of the mpox virus, and there are signs that early uptake has been brisk.
After announcing on Saturday that it was opening 36 spots for vaccination against the virus that causes the infectious disease formerly known as monkeypox, Centretown health clinic MAX Ottawa said Monday it’s fully booked and exploring ways to expand the program.
Ottawa Public Health’s (OPH) Sexual Health Clinic on Clarence Street is also offering vaccination against mpox. Eligibility criteria can be found on the OPH website.
On Aug. 14, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the spread of mpox a public health emergency of international concern. It came the day after the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared a public health emergency.
Mpox can cause painful rashes and lesions, and in some cases, severe illness or death.
Dangerous new strain
Family physician and clinical researcher Iris Gorinfinkel said the changing nature of the virus is causing particular concern.
“Last year it was a far milder disease, it killed about one in 500 of the people infected,” said Gorinfinkel, whose practice is in Toronto.
She said ongoing violence in Congo has forced millions from their homes and into crowded camps, hastening the spread of the virus that now kills one in 30 people infected.
The lethal new strain, clade 1b, has now been found in other African countries including Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Burundi. Gorinfinkel said children are especially at risk.
“It’s affecting kids. Three in five cases are kids under 15,” she said. “We’re talking about infants, some as young as two weeks old, so it’s spreading far more rapidly.”
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, the latest strain of the virus has not yet made its way to this country.
5 cases confirmed locally
As of Sunday, OPH had confirmed five local cases this year, the most recent in May. In April, OPH issued a warning about the spread of the virus in Ontario.
“While five cases of mpox infection so far this year does not represent a significant increase from a statistical perspective, Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is monitoring the situation closely and encourages people at risk to get vaccinated,” the public health unit said.
WHO issued an international emergency declaration in the summer of 2022, lasting about 10 months — around the time the virus was first confirmed in Canada.
Based on Ontario Ministry of Health guidelines, anyone who received one dose of the mpox vaccine can get a second dose 28 days later. The guidelines note anyone can become infected and spread mpox if they come into close contact with someone who has the virus, regardless of sex, race, gender or sexual orientation.
Quick uptake shows ‘community paying attention’
“I think this is a great example of our community paying attention to our health and the quick response from community members has shown that people are willing to act in order to keep each other safe,” said MAX Ottawa’s executive director Adam Awad.
Vaccinations at the Cooper Street health centre begin Tuesday. Awad said the vaccination effort is a good example of acting locally to prepare for a global public health crisis.
“When we think that we only need to worry about what’s happening in our own backyard, the reality is that we live in a global world,” he said.
Awad said MAX Ottawa is in discussions with OPH about getting more vaccine and opening more slots. For now, anyone looking to book a vaccination should contact OPH.