Mpox

Report to the Health Unit immediately by phone at 705-474-1400 or toll free at 1-800-563-2808, ext. 5229 if mpox is suspected or confirmed as per Ontario Regulation 135/18 and amendments under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O., c.H.7.

Mpox is preventable by vaccination. Check your vaccination records or call the Vaccine Preventable Diseases program at 705-474-1400 or toll free at 1-800-563-2808, ext. 5252 to book a vaccination appointment or to obtain additional information.

Eligibility

These individuals are considered at high-risk for mpox exposure and are eligible for vaccination if they have not already had mpox:

• Two-Spirit, non-binary, transgender, cisgender, intersex, or gender-queer individuals who self-identify as belonging to the gbMSM (gay, bisexual, pansexual, and other men who have sex with men) community AND who meet one or more of the following:
  • Have more than one partner
  • Are in a relationship where at least one of the partners has other sexual partners
  • Have had a confirmed sexually transmitted infection within the last year
  • Have attended venues for sexual contact (e.g., bath houses, sex clubs)
  • Have had anonymous sex (e.g., using hookup apps) recently
• Sexual partners of individuals who meet the criteria above
• Sex workers (regardless of gender, sex assigned at birth, or sexual orientation) or who are a sexual contact of an individual who engages in sex work
• Staff or volunteers in sex-on-premises venues where workers may have contact with objects or materials (e.g., clothing, linens, towels, furniture, etc.) potentially contaminated with mpox 
• Individuals who engage in sex tourism (regardless of gender, sex assigned at birth, or sexual orientation)
• Individuals who anticipate experiencing any of the above scenarios

Household contacts of people who fit the above criteria AND who are moderately to severely immunocompromised or who are pregnant may be at higher risk for severe illness from mpox infection and may be considered for pre-exposure vaccine.

Individuals who meet these criteria should contact our Vaccine Preventable Diseases program or their  healthcare provider for more information.

If you have had close contact with an infected person or have been in a place where mpox has been identified, you are also eligible for vaccination (as long as you weren't fully vaccinated against mpox already.)  The infected person can be a confirmed or probable case.

See Vaccination for Mpox for more information.