B.C. now offering second doses of monkeypox vaccine
People in B.C. who received the monkeypox vaccine are now being offered appointments for a second shot.
The BC Centre for Disease Control made the announcement Monday, saying more than 19,000 initial doses have been administered in the province. In order to be eligible for a second dose, 28 days need to have passed since the first.
"The National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends a complete vaccine series of two doses for stronger and longer lasting protection against monkeypox infection," the BC CDC announcement says.
"Your protection is not reduced if you receive a second dose more than 28 days after a first dose. You don't need to start the series over if it's been longer than 28 days since your first dose."
There have been 162 confirmed cases of the virus in British Columbia, with cases in every health authority but Northern Health. The vast majority have been in the Vancouver Coastal region. Vaccination is being offered in all five health authorities.
The province began offering the shots in late July soon after the World Health Organization declared the global outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
Eligibility is limited to those who are most at risk, and anyone who fits the criteria but has not received the first dose is still being encouraged to make an appointment.
The shots are available to those who self-identify as gay, bisexual, or men who have sex with men and who meet at least one additional criterion.
These include men who have been diagnosed with a bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the past two months, men who are engaged in sex work, those who plan to have anonymous sex and people who are attending or planning to attend bathhouses, sex clubs, or cruising spots like parks.
Close contacts of people who have tested positive are also eligible.
Those who are eligible don’t need to show ID or be covered by the province's medical services plan in order to get the shot. More information on vaccine eligibility and how to book an appointment is available online.
Monkeypox is a viral disease transmitted through direct contact with contaminated objects, people and animals. Symptoms include lesions or sores on the skin, including inside the mouth and on genitals and the peri-anal area. Those with monkeypox typically also experience fever and swollen lymph nodes, Health Canada says.
The first signs include headache, muscle ache, backache, chills and exhaustion, but some mild cases may go undiagnosed.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.