Ottawa Public Health to hold first monkeypox vaccine clinic
Ottawa Public Health is holding its first monkeypox vaccine clinic today, part of the health unit’s growing efforts to combat the spread of the virus.
The clinic comes just over a week after the city’s first confirmed case of monkeypox, which came on June 10. That person has since recovered and their close contacts have been vaccinated. There are three other suspected cases in Ottawa.
Over the weekend, OPH administered some of the roughly 100 shots it received from the province to higher-risk residents, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches told the city’s board of health Monday night.
Etches said the risk to the general public remains “very low.”
Quebec health authorities confirmed another 30 new cases of monkeypox on Tuesday, bringing the provincial total to 171. There are 21 confirmed cases in Ontario and six in other provinces, according to Public Health Agency of Canada data.
The OPH clinic tonight starts at 5:30 p.m. at Club Ottawa Baths on Wellington Street West. It’s due to last until 8:30 p.m. or until supplies last. Any community member who meets Ottawa Public Health's eligibility requirements is welcome and a health card is not required.
On Thursday, the AIDS Committee of Ottawa is holding a monkeypox information session at 6 p.m. with an infectious disease expert.
Most monkeypox cases have been found in men who have sex with men. Last week, Montreal officials expanded the city's vaccination campaign to all men who have sex with men, and in Toronto, authorities started holding clinics to immunize high-risk individuals.
The rare disease comes from the same family of viruses that cause smallpox, which the World Health Organization declared eradicated around the globe in 1980.
Smallpox vaccines have proven effective in combating the monkeypox virus.
Monkeypox generally does not spread easily between people and is transmitted through prolonged close contact via respiratory droplets, direct contact with skin lesions or bodily fluids, or through contaminated clothes or bedding.
Symptoms can include a fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, and a rash that can look like pimples or blisters.
- With files from the Canadian Press
Correction
An earlier version of this story said Ottawa Public Health had administered 100 monkeypox vaccine doses over the weekend. In fact, Ottawa Public Health received 100 doses of the vaccine from the province, and has begun to administer some of them.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.