This handout photo taken in 2001 and received Monday, May 23, 2022 by the Robert Koch Institute shows a color electron-microscopic capture of the monkeypox virus. Photo by ANDREA MAENNEL / ANDREA SCHNARTENDORFF / Robert Koch Institute / AFP via Getty Images

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Monkeypox vaccines will now be available to high-risk groups, BC’s Ministry of Health announced Friday.

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The ministry said that although the number of cases in BC remains low, some community transmission has been detected. As of Wednesday, there were 61 cases of monkeypox in BC, including three cases at Fraser Health, 54 at Vancouver Coastal Health and 4 at Island Health. There are no cases in Interior Health and Northern Health. Health officials will do contact tracing for those exposed to smallpox. The vaccine can be used as a preventive measure or given after exposure to prevent disease or serious outcomes. It will be available to contacts of people who have monkeypox or people considered to be at high risk, the ministry said. According to the BC Center for Disease Control, the vaccine will be offered primarily to transgender people or men who have sex with men who meet any of the following criteria:

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• You have been diagnosed with chlamydia, gonorrhea and/or syphilis in the past two months, or• You have had two or more sexual partners in the past 21 days, or• You have been to bathhouses, sex clubs, or park games, or plan to• Have an anonymous sexual intercourse in the past 21 days or intends to have, or• Engaged in sex work or intends to have, either as an employee or as a customer Health officials in BC say the monkeypox virus is not easily spread from person to person. All localized local transmission involves prolonged skin-to-skin contact, which is suspected to be the primary mode of spread of the virus To date, BC has received 14,480 doses of vaccine to control the outbreak, including post-exposure prophylaxis. Vaccines are ordered weekly and all doses are distributed to health authorities for administration. As of Wednesday, 7,200 doses had been administered to high-risk individuals, according to the health ministry.

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Last week, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern to manage the global outbreak of monkeypox. Public Health Canada has urged gay and bisexual men to practice safe sex and limit the number of sexual partners they have to reduce their risk of contracting the disease, which is spread mainly among men who have sex with men. Monkey pox can occur in two stages, with flu-like symptoms appearing first, followed by a rash, usually with sores or blisters, although many people only experience the rash. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States says 21,148 cases of monkeypox have been reported worldwide, with most cases found in 71 countries, including Canada, that have not historically reported the disease. [email protected] — With files from the Canadian Press

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