Community resource agencies join forces to offer pop-up monkeypox vax clinic

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This article was published 22/08/2022 (813 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A pair of local non-profits believe community collaboration holds the key to preventing the spread of monkeypox in Manitoba.

On Wednesday, Aug. 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., eligible individuals can head to the Rainbow Resource Centre to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated against monkeypox. The pop-up vaccination clinic is being offered in partnership with Sunshine House, which will be handing out smudging, care packages and harm-reduction supplies on-site.

Noreen Mian, executive director of the Rainbow Resource Centre, believes hosting the clinic in a familiar community space will encourage more at-risk individuals to get vaccinated.

“Providing a safe space that is overtly for the (LGBTTQ+) community really just lowers the barriers and it removes the fear of stigma and disclosure when accessing this vaccine,” Mian said.

Originally, Sunshine House reached out to Rainbow Resource Centre about using its central space to host a vaccine clinic, which Mian was happy to provide.

The sole monkeypox case in Manitoba so far was reported last Friday. The province is currently monitoring case numbers via testing and wastewater analysis.

As of Aug. 21, 436 Manitobans had received a dose of Imvamune, the vaccine being administered in Canada against monkeypox. The province did not respond to a Free Press inquiry about the current vaccination numbers and supply Tuesday.

Currently, individuals who self-identify as being a part of the gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men communities are eligible to receive a vaccination. People who have had two or more sexual partners or had anonymous sex in the last 21 days, have attended or plan to attend a bathhouse and/or who engage in sex work are also eligible. People who were diagnosed with chlamydia, gonorrhea and/or syphilis within the last two months may also receive Imvamune.

The province is only vaccinating higher-risk groups right now due to limited supply.

Mian said that community organizations can play a role in ensuring high-risk individuals have free and easy access to the vaccine. Importantly, they can help counter the stigma surrounding the disease, said Mian.

“Working with community organizations is a big piece of that because folks can just show up to the spaces that they’re used to showing up at for other reasons,” Mian said.

Although Wednesday’s pop-up clinic is the only one currently scheduled, Mian said the Rainbow Resource Centre would be happy to host more of them. Monkeypox vaccination clinics are also taking place at Klinic Community Health Centre, Our Own Health Centre and at a Winnipeg Regional Health Authority Centre at 490 Hargrave St.

“I think the message should be around being proactive and getting people vaccinated as soon as possible,” Mian said. “Nobody wants another pandemic on their hands, and I think the general population is all now pretty familiar with the realities of a pandemic.”

cierra.bettens@freepress.mb.ca