Updated Monkeypox Vaccination and Antiviral Guidance
Advisory Alert
September 1, 2022
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To: Local Health System Partners
FOR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION
Stay up to date with Monkeypox vaccination and treatment guidance and other key resources by visiting the Ministry of Health website
Imvamune® is the approved vaccine in Canada that is used as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for monkeypox. Current Ontario guidelines recommend using a single dose of the vaccine as PrEP to limit ongoing transmission of monkeypox. Two doses are recommended as PrEP for moderately to severely immunocomprimised individuals and certain laboratory employees. For the full definition and list of moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals, please consult Appendix A of the Ministry of Health’s Monkeypox Vaccine (Imvamune®) Guidance for Health Care Providers. See Appendix B of this document for guidance on how to verify second dose eligibility for moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals.
Further information on the use of Imvamune® in special populations has been provided:
- Individuals eligible for Imvamune® as PreP or PEP who previously received either an older generation replicating (live) smallpox vaccine or Imvamune® can be re-vaccinated.
- Individuals who have been a confirmed case of monkeypox in the current outbreak are NOT recommended to receive the monkeypox vaccine at this time.
Please refer to Monkeypox Vaccine (Imvamune®) Guidance for Health Care Providers for details regarding all special populations including:
- Research Laboratory Employees
- Moderately to Severely Immunocompromised
- Allergy/Hypersensitivity
- Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
- Persons with Atopic Dermatitis
If you are providing support to an individual who is under 18 years of age and has had high or intermediate risk monkeypox exposure, please consult a local pediatrician for clinical advice regarding Imvamune® administration.
Eligible individuals seeking PrEP should be directed to call Public Health at 705.522.9200, ext. 482 (toll-free 1.866.522.9200) or Réseau ACCESS Network at 705.688.0500. Individuals can also call Public Health at ext. 772 if they are seeking PEP.
Tecovirimat (TPoxx®), the antiviral medication used to treat monkeypox in Canada, can be requested to the Ministry of Health’s Emergency Operations Centre (MEOC) at EOCoperations.MOH@ontario.ca or by calling the Healthcare Provider Hotline at 1-866-212-2272. When requesting TPoxx®, clinicians must provide specific information for each patient that has consented to treatment, as outlined in Appendix A of the Ministry of Health’s Monkeypox Antiviral Guidance for Health Care Providers.
Additional Resources
For guidance on preventing monkeypox transmission in health care settings, please see Public Health Ontario’s (PHO) Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Recommendations for Monkeypox in Health Care Settings. Additional monkeypox resources can be found on PHO’s website.
For case and contact management information, please contact the Control of Infectious Diseases program at 705.522.9200, ext. 772 (toll-free 1.866.522.9200).
Sincerely,
Original Signed By
Dr. Penny Sutcliffe
Medical Officer of Health and Chief Executive Officer
NOTE: All Advisory Alerts are found on our website.
This item was last modified on April 2, 2024