Registered pharmacist Sapana Patel holds a bottle of monkeypox vaccine at a pop-up monkeypox vaccination site on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022, in West Hollywood, Calif. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
WINNIPEG — Manitoba has confirmed the first case of monkeypox in the province, but health officials say the risk to the general public remains low.
Health officials aren’t releasing identifying details surrounding the first confirmed case, such as region of residence, gender or age of the person.
“Public health officials will provide notification to close contacts, and to specific locations if the risk to others is considered high and contacts may be unknown,” the province said in a release.
Manitoba Health says the case was likely caught outside of the province, but contract tracing is ongoing.
Anyone can become infected with monkeypox, but at this time, infections have been primarily reported among people who self-identify as belonging to the gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) community.
People belonging to these communities are eligible for a monkeypox vaccine.
As of August 14, 168 doses of the vaccine have been administered to eligible people in Manitoba.
Walk-in vaccinations will be available to eligible people in Winnipeg at 490 Hargrave Street on August 23, 24 and 25 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Appointments outside of these dates and times can be made online or by calling Health Links-Info Santé at (204) 788-8200 or (toll-free) at 1-888-315-9257.
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