Almost 6,000 people in Toronto have received a vaccine for monkeypox, according to the local public health unit.
The city has been hosting community clinics offering the Imvamune vaccine to at-risk people, with locations at Metro Hall and Cloverdale Mall.
A spokesperson for Toronto Public Health told Global News 5,908 people had received a vaccine dose to protect against monkeypox at one of its locally-run clinics as of June 30.
“We are working to vaccinate as many eligible individuals who are at risk as possible to protect the community from further spread of monkeypox virus,” a spokesperson said.
Data released by Public Health Ontario shows there were 77 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the province between May 20 and June 30. Almost 82 per cent of those cases were reported in Toronto.
All 77 cases were reported in men.
Monkeypox vaccine clinics launched toward the beginning of June, organized by the City of Toronto and the Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance, focused on high-risk individuals, including bathhouse workers.
According to Toronto Public Health, the virus spreads through contact with body fluids, including contaminated clothing or bedding. It can also spread through respiratory droplets following “prolonged” face-to-face contact and through bites and scratches from animals.
“Anyone, regardless of sexual orientation, can spread monkeypox through contact with body fluids, monkeypox sores or by sharing contaminated items,” Toronto Public Health said. “However, during this outbreak, in a number of countries, gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men have been affected.”
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