As Montreal is the “epicenter” of the monkeypox epidemic in Canada, the city plans to add additional vaccination sites as the outbreak continues to grow in Quebec, public health officials said.
The Montreal Public Health Service said Tuesday that there are now 132 confirmed cases of the rare virus in Quebec, including 126 in Montreal.
As more people visit the city for the festival season, the city hopes to limit the spread of the disease, which has so far been found entirely in men who have sex with other men.
The interim director of public health, Dr. Luc Boalo, and the director of public health in Montreal, Dr. Milen Druen, provided an update to the media on Tuesday afternoon.
In the coming days, people will be able to get vaccinated at a clinic or book an appointment by visiting the government reservation portal Clic Santé.
On June 9, Quebec reported 98 confirmed cases of monkeypox, most of them in the country.
Monkeypox is a rare disease that is spread through prolonged, close contact with another person from airborne droplets, skin-to-skin contact, and body fluids.
It comes from the same family of viruses that cause smallpox and is considered a mild disease.
The Ministry of Health began offering the smallpox vaccine on May 27 for close contact with those infected. More than 3,000 doses have been distributed so far, Boalo said on Tuesday.
– This is an evolving story. More details are coming.
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