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 is expanding eligibility for the preventative monkeypox vaccine to include additional groups.
Health officials say, effective October 6 at 9 a.m., the following people can make vaccine appointments:
- Cisgender, transgender or two-spirit people who self-identify as belonging to the gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) community and who meet at least one of the following criteria
- Have received a diagnosis of a sexually transmitted infection in the last year (expanded from six months)
- Have had two or more sexual partners in the last 90 days
- Have attended locations for sexual contact (e.g. bath houses or sex clubs) or are planning to
- Have had anonymous sex in the last 90 days (e.g. using apps, online sites, formal/informal gatherings) or are planning to
- Any sexual contacts of the individuals described above
- Individuals who self-identify as sex workers, regardless of self-identified sex / gender (new)
- Staff or volunteers in sex-on-premises venues where workers may have contact with objects or materials that may be contaminated with the monkeypox virus without the use of personal protective equipment (new)
The province is also now offering a second dose of monkeypox vaccine to all eligible people. The second dose should be given at least 28 days after the first.
Manitoba has reported one confirmed case of monkeypox to date.
As of October 2, 997 doses of the vaccine have been administered to eligible people in Manitoba.
Appointments can be made online or by calling Health Links-Info Santé at (204) 788-8200.
