A pre-exposure vaccine for monkeypox will start making its way into the arms of Guelph residents next week. Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health confirmed that they will receive their first shipment of Imvammune Prophylactic (PrEP) vaccine next week and “expect to order and receive small quantities of the vaccine on a rolling basis over the next few weeks from the province based on eligibility and demand’. “We expect to be able to meet demand locally and increase our access if needed,” said Dr. Matthew Tenenbaum, associate physician at the health facility. Provincial guidelines indicate that eligibility for the pre-exposure vaccine is limited to transgender or cisgender individuals who identify as gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men and at least one of the following: • You have been diagnosed with a bacterial STD (ie chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis) within the last two months. • Have had 2 or more sexual partners in the past 21 days or may be planning to. • You have attended settings for sexual contact in the past 21 days (ie, bathhouses, sex clubs) or may plan to or work/volunteer in these settings. • You have had anonymous sex in the last 21 days (eg using dating apps) or may be planning to. In addition, the person lives in an area with a confirmed case, has been diagnosed with a bacterial STD in the past two months, engages in sex work, or may be planning or had two or more sexual partners, place of intercourse, or anonymous sex in the past 21 days. The guidance also asks anyone who is immunocompromised, pregnant or breastfeeding to contact their health facility for a single dose review, as they may be at higher risk of serious illness if infected with the virus. Guelph had one confirmed case of monkeypox, a man in his 20s, announced last month. The Imvammune vaccine has been around for quite some time. It was first approved for use by Health Canada in 2013 to protect residents from smallpox in a public health emergency. Approval was extended in 2020 for use against monkeypox and other orthopoxvirus infections for adults at high risk of exposure. The Ontario Ministry of Health said anyone with signs or symptoms of monkeypox should not get the vaccine, “as the vaccine is not indicated for the treatment of monkeypox infection.” Details of when and where eligible residents will be able to receive the dose are still being finalized, as well as how to contact them.
