What B.C. is doing to manage monkeypox in the province, including who is eligible for the vaccine

Some major Canadian cities are using clinics to provide monkeypox vaccinations en masse, but there are no plans to do the same in British Columbia for now.

The provincial Ministry of Health said it's watching what's going on in Quebec and Ontario, where vaccination efforts are underway in Montreal, Ottawa and other cities.

On Friday, health officials said the total number of confirmed infections reached 168 across Canada. Of those, 141 are in Quebec, 21 are in Ontario and four are in Alberta.

Two have been confirmed in B.C.

The ministry told CTV News that the provincial health officer and B.C. Centre for Disease Control are working closely with provincial, territorial and federal agencies on a "co-ordinated outbreak response" to manage the disease.

"We have a provincial outbreak response team here in B.C. to closely monitor and manage the small number of cases reported to date," a spokesperson said.

WHAT'S BEING DONE IN B.C.

What that response looks like for now is ensuring cases are being reported. Health-care providers need to use national case report forms and laboratory testing protocols need to be in line with those of the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Additionally, vaccination strategies are being co-ordinated with officials outside of B.C. to "ensure we are preventing the virus from spreading, as effectively as possible."

When it comes to vaccines, they're only available in B.C. for now for close contacts of confirmed cases, but the ministry said it is "working with at-risk communities to determine the need for broader vaccination campaigns."

VACCINE CAMPAIGNS ELSEWHERE

Those campaigns, if needed, may be similar to those in Montreal and Toronto, the ministry said.

In Montreal, the city's vaccine campaign was expanded last week to include all men who have sex with men, given that many cases have been linked to sexual contact among these groups. Monkeypox can spread to anyone who's had close physical contact with an infected person though, officials warn. 

In Toronto, vaccine clinics were open over the weekend to people over the age of 18 who are transgender or cisgender and identify as men, and belong to "the community of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men," regional officials said.

To be eligible, they had to have also either: been a contact of a person who tested positive for monkeypox; had two or more sexual partners within the last 21 days; been diagnosed with certain sexually-transmitted infections within the last 21 days; attended bathhouses, sex clubs or other venues for sexual contact in the last 21 days; or had anonymous or casual sex in the last 21 days. 

Ottawa too is administering the vaccine to those considered "highest priority individuals," based on provincial eligibility data. Local public health officials said those people would be contacted directly. 

'A LIMITED STOCKPILE'

As for why the shots aren't available to everyone, the B.C. Health Ministry said that essentially, there just aren't enough.

"Health Canada maintains a limited stockpile of a vaccine that protects against monkeypox," the ministry said.

That vaccine is called Imvamune, and was originally developed to prevent the virus that causes smallpox. It is only approved for use in adults in Canada. 

According to the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, those who were given the smallpox vaccine when it was routinely administered may already have some protection against monkeypox. Younger Canadian adults likely would not have been given the vaccine, as most campaigns ended in the 1970s, and shots were only given in emergency situations.

As of earlier this month, NACI was only recommending its use for people who were exposed to a confirmed or probable case or were in settings where transmission is known to be happening. 

For now, the vaccine is available through Health Canada to provincial public health authorities if there are cases of monkeypox, but it is not available for the general public, B.C. health officials said.

MONKEYPOX SYMPTOMS

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.

Despite transmission in Canada, the disease is still considered rare.

The best way to prevent transmission is to avoid those with infection. Those diagnosed should self-isolate if possible, and cases should be reported. Handwashing and hand sanitizer can help as well.