Quebec to Begin Vaccinating Residents Against Monkeypox

After 25 cases of monkeypox were reported in the Montreal area, Quebec is planning to combat the disease by jabbing some people with a smallpox vaccine. 

Dr. Luc Boileau, Quebec’s public health director, said on Thursday that the vaccine will be offered to those most vulnerable to catching monkeypox, including people who have been in contact with confirmed cases. While the smallpox vaccine hasn’t been regularly offered in Canada for some time, experts say that the vax offers a good chance at preventing infection if taken within four days of exposure. 

The smallpox vaccine will be given out to eligible residents as soon as Friday.

While 14 monkeypox cases have been tied to Montreal, all 25 cases in Quebec have been linked to the city’s surrounding area. There are also another 20-30 cases that are currently under investigation.

For anyone worried this could blow up into another COVID-like scenario—don’t get too worked up. Bolieau says that while monkeypox is a serious disease, it’s not ripping through the population the same way that COVID-19 has, and that he isn’t expecting a huge number of cases. Also unlike COVID, the virus needs close and prolonged contact to spread, so it’s less likely to be caught.