A total of 112 cases of Monkeypox have been confirmed in four provinces, Chief Public Health Officer Teresa Tam said Friday as she provided an update on the virus in Canada.
“All cases to date are male and the majority report having sexual contact with men. However, this virus can spread to anyone through close contact with an infected person,” she said.
Tam said more cases can be expected “in the coming days and weeks,” as the National Microbiology Lab (NML) undertakes further testing to confirm a number of other suspected cases.
“Our primary goal is to contain the outbreak. This means rapidly stopping chains of transmission to prevent the establishment of monkeypox in Canada, and protect public health and health care in Canada,” she said.
“We are also focused on protecting those at the highest risk of severe outcomes, including immunocompromised individuals, pregnant people, and children under 12 years of age.”
To limit the spread of the virus, Tam said the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is recommending the use of Imvamune, a Health Canada-approved vaccine.
She said NACI recommends offering a single dose of Imvamune to individuals with high-risk exposures to a confirmed case of monkeypox, ideally within four days of exposure.
“At this time, a mass vaccination campaign is not needed to address this outbreak in Canada,” Tam said.
She said affected provinces are currently implementing vaccination strategies based on their local epidemiology situation, while the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is working with vaccine manufacturers to develop more vaccine supply moving forward.
