The province announced Friday that the vaccine is expected to be available the week of Sept. 19. Details will be available next week on how and when people can book their appointments. The Halifax Sexual Health Center will host the first vaccine clinic. “Halifax Sexual Health Center is proud to be a location that community members associate with confidentiality, safety and excellent care. We look forward to providing this much-needed service,” Abbey Ferguson, the center’s executive director, said in a news release. The province says it also partnered with prideHealth, the Nova Scotia AIDS Coalition and the Center for Community-Based Research in Vancouver to create the program. The vaccine will only be available to those who identify as a cisgender or transgender queer man, a two-spirit person, or a non-binary person who has sexual contact with a cisgender or transgender queer man, a two-spirit person, or a non-binary person and have at least one of the following:
two or more sexual partners as defined above in the past three months or plans to do so diagnosis of a bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the past three months; attended, worked or volunteered at an event/social venue for sexual intercourse, such as a bathhouse or sex club, in the past three months or plan to have had anonymous sex in the last three months or plan to have engages as an employee or client in sex work or plans to do so; have sexual contact with someone who meets the above criteria
Only residents, or people living in the province for extended periods, who meet the eligibility criteria will be offered the vaccine, called Imvamune.
Work is also underway to establish more clinics across Nova Scotia, according to the province. Nova Scotia’s Chief Health Officer, Dr. Robert Strang, encourages those at highest risk to get vaccinated. “By ensuring that those most at risk of being exposed to the virus have access to a vaccine before potential exposure, it will help protect against the virus, limit the spread and help reduce severe symptoms,” he said. Nova Scotia confirmed its first case of monkeypox on August 23. The World Health Organization first declared the monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency on July 23.
WHAT IS MONKEYPOX?
Monkey pox is a virus that is spread through close contact with an infected person. This could include sexual activity, direct contact with monkeypox sores, inhalation of respiratory droplets from an infected person who coughs or sneezes, and close contact with an infected object such as a bed sheet. However, monkeypox was largely transmitted through sexual contact during this outbreak. Typical symptoms include chills, fever, swollen lymph nodes, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, back pain, and exhaustion. A rash or sores are common and usually start on the face, legs or arms, but can also affect other parts of the body. Symptoms usually develop five to 21 days after the person is exposed to the virus.
