Ottawa mpox vaccine clinic fully booked

A Centretown pop-up vaccination clinic for mpox filled up shortly after being announced, as world-wide concern about a new variant grows.

MAX Ottawa held a special one-day clinic at their offices on Tuesday for the mpox vaccine.

"So we launched the appointments on Saturday morning and by Monday morning all 36 spots were booked up and we have a wait list of about ten people," says MAX Ottawa executive director Adam Awad.

He says more days could be announced soon.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the ongoing outbreaks of mpox in Congo and elsewhere in Africa to be a global emergency, requiring urgent action to curb the virus' transmission.

"So with all the media and the WHO announcement, more attention within the community has been has been on mpox," says Awad.

Who is at risk?

Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) is an infectious disease that is caused by the monkeypox virus. It can cause a painful rash, fever, and swollen lymph nodes, according to the Ontario Ministry of Health. While most people get better quickly, some people can become very sick.

"Anybody can get mpox. It's close skin-to-skin or mucosal contact," Awad tells CTV News Ottawa. "So, if you're kissing somebody, if you are having sex with somebody, if you're sharing a bed with somebody who has a case, then it's possible to have it passed on. In Ontario in particular, we're seeing it mostly among men who have sex with men, but anybody can get it."

There have been about 100 cases in Ontario so far this year, with five confirmed cases in Ottawa, the most recent of which was confirmed in May. In 2023, two individuals tested positive for mpox in Ottawa, down from 42 cases in 2022, according to Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Laura Bourns.

"Our observations are that close sexual contact remains the primary way that mpox is being transmitted in our community," says Bourns.

"In Canada, the epidemiology is such that the vast majority of cases are circulating in the men who have sex with men community. And the risk factors for this infection are men have sex with men who have multiple sexual partners. Again, with no stigma and no moralization, it's just important to identify that as a risk because risk is not uniform," Dr. Isaac Bogoch, Infectious Diseases Specialist with Toronto General Hospital, tells CTV News Ottawa.

Bogoch says the primary modes of transmission is either direct contact or prolonged close contact.

"Those are the primary modes of transmission. Like if you're in a grocery store and you're walking past somebody with this, that's not how people get mpox."

There is a renewed concern in Canada because of a surge in cases and a new strain in Africa.

"It's been rumbling along at a low level since the summer of 2022; however, in African settings where they don't have the same degree of access to vaccinations or therapeutics, the infection has been spreading," says Bogoch.

There have been no cases of the newer variant in Canada so far.

"These cases (the ones in Ottawa) are not associated with the WHO declared Public Health Emergency of International Concern for mpox, which relates to the spread of a more severe type (clade I) of the mpox virus in west and Central Africa," says Bourns.

How to protect yourself

To lower your overall risk of getting infected with and spreading the mpox virus, you should:

• get vaccinated for mpox if eligible;
• use condoms;
• practice safe sex and having fewer sexual partners, particularly those who are anonymous, even when they don't have symptoms;
• follow good hand hygiene. Wash your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer;
• not kiss, hug, cuddle or have sex with someone who has or may have mpox;
• avoid skin to skin contact with mpox rashes or lesions;
• avoid sharing objects such as toothbrushes, utensils, sex toys or drug equipment;
• clean and disinfect high touch surfaces (such as door handles and phones);
• avoid touching bedding and laundry that has been in contact with a person that may have the virus; and
• use personal protective equipment (PPE) when caring for someone at home who has the virus, including a medical mask and disposable gloves for direct contact with lesions.

Bourns says Ottawa Public Health continues to monitor the situation closely, and encourages people at risk to get vaccinated.

"OPH continues to offer vaccinations at designated clinics and follows provincial guidance on mpox vaccine eligibility. In addition, OPH is offering additional clinics for mpox throughout pride week and is working with partners such as MAX Ottawa to provide additional clinics."