Monkeypox vaccine ‘scarce’ in Manitoba, Roussin says

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This article was published 12/08/2022 (1290 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

More appointments for the monkeypox vaccine are coming, but the province refuses to reveal the number of available doses in Manitoba.

A news release from the province Thursday confirmed that additional appointments will be available “soon,” but no dates were listed.

However, people can make appointments immediately, whether online or by calling Health Links-Info Santé at 204-788-8200 or toll-free at 1-888-315-9257.

Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer, said at a news conference Thursday that the province has a limited supply of the monkeypox vaccine.

“It’s a scarce resource. It has to be stored properly, and it’s scarce because there are outbreaks happening in other jurisdictions,” he said. “We want to do whatever we can to avoid any wastage.”

He would not elaborate how many doses there actually are. There has already been a post-exposure campaign with what Roussin called “a handful” of vaccines administered. Currently, the province is working with the federal government to develop pre-exposure actions to be taken to prevent disease spread, with a key part being the vaccine campaign.

The availability of the vaccine will be determined by demand, he added. People will also be able to access the vaccine through health-care providers. Roussin said the appointments can be made at several locations outside of Winnipeg, and the vaccine is available in all health regions.

Details about where people can get the vaccine are available when they book their appointments. It is also available through public health units.

While infections have primarily been reported in the gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) community, Roussin said it is important to avoid stigmatizing populations.

“There is a balance between risk communication and doing whatever we can to avoid stigmatizing those populations,” he said. “This is not a sexually transmitted disease, but it is contracted through close skin-to-skin contact, as well as mucus transfer.”

This comes after the province recently expanded eligibility for the monkeypox vaccine. This includes individuals who are cisgender, transgender or two-spirit people who self-identify as belonging to the gbMSM community and meet at least one of these criteria: have received a diagnosis of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and/or syphilis in the past two months; have had two or more sexual partners in the last 21 days; have attended locations for sexual contact (such as bath houses or sex clubs) or are planning to; have had anonymous sex in the past 21 days (such as using apps, online sites, formal/informal gatherings) or are planning to; engage in sex work or plan to, either as a worker or a client.

Last Monday, however, the provincial government tweeted all appointments had been booked.

To date, no monkeypox cases have been found in Manitoba.

Beyond vaccines, the best way to avoid infection is prevention. Roussin advised that people who are at higher risk of contracting the virus should limit their sexual partners for now. Also avoid skin-to-skin and face-to-face contact. Washing hands and cleaning objects and surfaces is another good practice to minimize infection risk.

Roussin added the province will be releasing data on total monkeypox vaccines administered next week. That will not include the number of appointments booked.

Online appointments can be made at bit.ly/3zNoyTR.

» kmckinley@brandonsun.com, with files from The Brandon Sun

» Twitter: @karenleighmcki1