Canada has declared a new public health emergency of international concern over the rising cases of Mpox (formerly known as monkey pox) clade Ib in central and west Africa. There have been no reported cases of that strain here in Canada, but the less infectious strain, known as clade IIb, is still circulating following an outbreak in 2022.

While vaccination campaigns were initially successful, health advocates have said that only 33.6 per cent of those who received their first of the two-dose Imvamune vaccine series have gotten their second shot.

“Once rates of Mpox went down, the drive for people to potentially get vaccinated was less,” said Dr. Joanne Kearon, Acting Medical Officer of Health for the London Middlesex Health Unit (MLHU). “Significantly, people who had started their vaccine series and received one dose, potentially didn’t finish their series and get their second dose.”

This year there have been 164 cases reported, according to the Government of Canada website, which is an increase from last year. Almost all have been reported in the Toronto area. Dr. Kearon said the decrease in vaccination rates was one of the reasons why there has been an increase in cases, but she noted that this increase was not seen here in London.

The symptoms of Mpox include a rash, which may affect any part of the body, as well as fever, chills, headache, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes.

Mpox has predominantly affected gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) and has almost exclusively been transmitted via sexual contact. Although it is not a sexually transmitted infection, it is passed through direct skin-to-skin contact, making sexual activity particularly risky for transmission. 

“The higher risk among [the GBMSM community] isn’t so much about personal identity, but around certain behaviours,” said Gilles Charette, a spokesperson for the Toronto-based Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance (GMSH). “Places where intimate contact is common, for example, sex clubs, bathhouses, and social gatherings can increase the risk of infection.”

He also said having multiple sexual partners, as well as engaging in anonymous sex, can increase the risk of transmission.

For these reasons, the GBMSM community has been one of the eligible groups to get vaccinated since the initial outbreak, and Charette said GMSH has been running a social media campaign to raise awareness in the community of the importance of getting vaccinated.

“We need to get more folks vaccinated,” said Charette. “That’s really the rationale behind doing the social media campaigns to encourage people to make sure if they’ve had one, to get their second, and if they’ve had neither, to go through the series of vaccinations.”

The MLHU also stressed the importance of vaccinations as a way to lower the spread of the virus, and the best way for people to protect themselves.

“If you are eligible, please speak to your healthcare provider, or contact us at the health unit to get your dose,” said Dr. Kearon. “If you have previously received your first dose, this is a reminder to get your second dose.”