Push for more Vancouver monkeypox vaccinations ahead of city’s main Pride events

Two months after the first case of monkeypox was discovered in Canada, vaccination efforts are well underway. But a Vancouver outreach group is hoping to see more uptake ahead of the city’s major Pride events.

Simon Rayek with Health Initiative for Men (HIM) says he’s grateful the government and health authorities were swift in getting vaccination efforts started.

“We’re working with health authorities on doing pop-up clinics in different parts that are popular with gay, bi, and queer guys who may not want to access a clinical setting. Maybe because they’re less out, or maybe because they just don’t feel comfortable navigating those systems. So we’re trying to really reach those people where they’re at.”

There are two pop-up clinics that have opened just this week in the West End.

Related article: Vancouver Coastal adjusts monkeypox vaccine strategy ahead of Pride events

Rayek would like to see easy access during Vancouver Pride weekend, when thousands of people will be in town.

“We want to get as much vaccine out as possible, recognizing a lot of people will congregate here — a lot of people from out of province and from other parts of the province will be coming. So, we want to make sure that the people who are participating at the parade or different events are protected by the vaccine.”

The hope, Rayek adds, is to have the vaccine rollout continue into and beyond Pride.

Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) says so far, more than 3,700 people immunized against monkeypox within that region. As of Tuesday, B.C. has seen a total of 40 cases.

“Although the number of monkeypox cases in B.C. remains low, limited community transmission has been identified in Vancouver among those who identify as men who have sex with other men, but any person who has close and prolonged contact with a person who has monkeypox may be at risk of infection,” VCH said in a statement.

There has been a lot of discussion around the risk of stigmatization arising from reporting of higher rates of monkeypox among men who have sex with men. Rayek thinks it’s been a “fine balance.”

“I really want to credit policymakers at every level of the government because they were really attuned to that sort of nuance of the conversation, and were really being intentional about how they were discussing monkeypox in public,” he said.

Rayek says while it’s important to acknowledge the virus predominantly affects men who have sex with men, it’s just as key to get the message out that anyone can contract monkeypox.

“I know that there has been stigma, especially in smaller rural and remote populations. We’re being very mindful about the way we’re discussing this because we don’t want people there who may already be experiencing disproportionate amounts of stigma to be even worse off because of the conversations happening here in Vancouver.”

[2/3] Monkeypox can spread to anyone who has come into close contact with someone who has the virus, regardless of sex, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status and race.

— Health Canada and PHAC (@GovCanHealth) July 7, 2022

The amount of interest in vaccination within the 2SLGBTQ+ community has been encouraging, he adds.

“There’s a lot of literature showing that LGBTQ men are really engaged with health care, and that they are quite health literate. And so, maybe it shouldn’t have been surprising, but we have barely had to do any promotion up to this point in order to get [the] vaccine into [the] community and appointment slots have been filling up super quickly.”

However, he believes they are reaching a point where more engagement is needed with people at higher risk of monkeypox and its negative outcomes.

“Maybe they haven’t sought out the vaccine because they don’t realize that it may impact them, maybe because they don’t feel like the spaces where it’s being offered are very accessible. That’s the kind of work that we’re doing with the health authorities now, trying to figure out how we reach those who aren’t seeking it out themselves.”

Related article: Monkeypox outbreaks prompt concern over possible stigma

The monkeypox virus does not spread easily from person-to-person, VCH says.

“Local transmission has involved prolonged skin-to-skin contact, which is suspected to be the primary way the virus is spread. The virus causes a disease that can occur in two stages: first, flu-like symptoms, followed by a rash. However, some people only get the rash,” the health authority notes.

Vaccination against monkeypox is not recommended for the general public.

Clinic and booking information can be found on the Vancouver Coastal Health website.