There have been fewer than 1,000 confirmed cases in Canada since May, as of Friday.  But on a per capita basis, the number of monkeypox cases overall in Canada has surpassed the United States.
On July 27, Director-General of Public Health Dr Theresa Tam encouraged those at higher risk of monkeypox to get vaccinated, saying an “urgent” response was needed to tackle the outbreak.
But even though monkeypox has spread mostly among men who have sex with men, Dr.  Donald Vinh, an infectious disease specialist at McGill University Health Center in Montreal, tells CTV National News there is a high chance the infection could spread outside of this community.  .
“I’m not saying we should panic. I think we should just be prepared that there is a possibility that this virus will spread to the wider public and therefore we shouldn’t be surprised by that possibility,” he said.  .
Monkey pox often presents as a flu-like infection with a rash and is spread through close personal contact with someone who is symptomatic.
While monkeypox has been endemic in parts of Africa for decades, it has also been neglected, Vinh said.
And while the smallpox vaccine does protect against monkeypox, questions remain about whether those vaccinated decades ago would still be protected from the disease today.
“And that’s something else we have to learn and learn pretty quickly,” Vinh said.
The Biden administration in the US declared monkeypox a public health emergency on Thursday.
This comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern on July 23.
However, Canada has yet to make a similar statement
In a statement to CTVNews.ca, a Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) spokesperson said the Government of Canada “recognizes WHO’s determination and recognizes that the global monkeypox outbreak requires an urgent global response.”
The spokesman said more than 80,000 doses of Imvamune smallpox vaccine have been sent to provinces and territories.
“PHAC also continues to work closely with international, provincial and territorial health partners to gather information about this evolving outbreak and to determine the best course of action to stop the spread of monkeypox in Canada,” the statement said. .
“Canada will also continue to work with WHO and international partners to strengthen the global response to the current monkeypox outbreak.”
Asked what the current status of Canada’s vaccine stockpile is and Canada’s ability to increase its supply through additional supplies, the spokesman said the agency “does not disclose details of medical countermeasures held by the NESS (National Strategic Emergency Stockpile) , including types or quantities, due to safety implications and requirements.’
Locally, some are making efforts on the vaccination side.
This weekend, the public health unit in Windsor, Ont., will host its first monkeypox vaccine clinic at Pride Sunday.
But on Friday, Ottawa Public Health announced it had to cancel monkeypox vaccine clinics for the day “due to an unforeseen short-term vaccine supply issue.”
Kerry Bowman, an assistant professor at the Temerty School of Medicine at the University of Toronto, said it’s not yet clear where the monkeypox outbreak is headed, but he believes Canada can do more.
“There is a picture of a lack of clarity as to who is eligible, and the vaccination process itself is quite limited,” Bowman said.
Health officials have recommended vaccinations for high-risk groups, including health care workers and men who have sex with men who have recently had multiple sexual partners.
But Bowman says he’s also concerned about the spread of monkeypox to nonhuman animals.
“I’d like to see it contained because I’m afraid it’s going to become endemic – embedded – that it’s going to get into non-human species like I’ve seen in Africa, it’s just going to keep moving around and coming back into humans regularly,” he said.
With files from Rachel Aiello of CTVNews.ca, The Associated Press and CNN.

title: “Monkeypox Concerns About Possible Further Spread In Canada " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-09” author: “Kristi Rogers”

There have been fewer than 1,000 confirmed cases in Canada since May, as of Friday.  But on a per capita basis, the number of monkeypox cases overall in Canada has surpassed the United States.
On July 27, Director-General of Public Health Dr Theresa Tam encouraged those at higher risk of monkeypox to get vaccinated, saying an “urgent” response was needed to tackle the outbreak.
But even though monkeypox has spread mostly among men who have sex with men, Dr.  Donald Vinh, an infectious disease specialist at McGill University Health Center in Montreal, tells CTV National News there is a high chance the infection could spread outside of this community.  .
“I’m not saying we should panic. I think we should just be prepared that there is a possibility that this virus will spread to the wider public and therefore we shouldn’t be surprised by that possibility,” he said.  .
Monkey pox often presents as a flu-like infection with a rash and is spread through close personal contact with someone who is symptomatic.
While monkeypox has been endemic in parts of Africa for decades, it has also been neglected, Vinh said.
And while the smallpox vaccine does protect against monkeypox, questions remain about whether those vaccinated decades ago would still be protected from the disease today.
“And that’s something else we have to learn and learn pretty quickly,” Vinh said.
The Biden administration in the US declared monkeypox a public health emergency on Thursday.
This comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern on July 23.
However, Canada has yet to make a similar statement
In a statement to CTVNews.ca, a Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) spokesperson said the Government of Canada “recognizes WHO’s determination and recognizes that the global monkeypox outbreak requires an urgent global response.”
The spokesman said more than 80,000 doses of Imvamune smallpox vaccine have been sent to provinces and territories.
“PHAC also continues to work closely with international, provincial and territorial health partners to gather information about this evolving outbreak and to determine the best course of action to stop the spread of monkeypox in Canada,” the statement said. .
“Canada will also continue to work with WHO and international partners to strengthen the global response to the current monkeypox outbreak.”
Asked what the current status of Canada’s vaccine stockpile is and Canada’s ability to increase its supply through additional supplies, the spokesman said the agency “does not disclose details of medical countermeasures held by the NESS (National Strategic Emergency Stockpile) , including types or quantities, due to safety implications and requirements.’
Locally, some are making efforts on the vaccination side.
This weekend, the public health unit in Windsor, Ont., will host its first monkeypox vaccine clinic at Pride Sunday.
But on Friday, Ottawa Public Health announced it had to cancel monkeypox vaccine clinics for the day “due to an unforeseen short-term vaccine supply issue.”
Kerry Bowman, an assistant professor at the Temerty School of Medicine at the University of Toronto, said it’s not yet clear where the monkeypox outbreak is headed, but he believes Canada can do more.
“There is a picture of a lack of clarity as to who is eligible, and the vaccination process itself is quite limited,” Bowman said.
Health officials have recommended vaccinations for high-risk groups, including health care workers and men who have sex with men who have recently had multiple sexual partners.
But Bowman says he’s also concerned about the spread of monkeypox to nonhuman animals.
“I’d like to see it contained because I’m afraid it’s going to become endemic – embedded – that it’s going to get into non-human species like I’ve seen in Africa, it’s just going to keep moving around and coming back into humans regularly,” he said.
With files from Rachel Aiello of CTVNews.ca, The Associated Press and CNN.