(Montreal) Tourists lined up in hopes of getting a dose of monkeypox vaccine in Montreal.
Posted at 6:50 p.m.
Brian Maci was one of many New Yorkers who wanted a dose at an outdoor clinic set up in Montreal’s Gay Village. The man, who was already spending his holidays in the Metropolis, tried his luck because he had been unable to get an appointment at home.
“It’s like trying to buy tickets to a concert,” Maci says of the process in New York to get a vaccine.
In New York, he tried to get an appointment over the internet as soon as the process opened up. After several attempts, he learned that there were no more available.
Once in Montreal, while attending a drag queen show, he heard a notice announcing that vaccines were available in the metropolis, including for tourists.
A vacationing couple from New York told a similar story of how hard it was to get a date in the Big Apple.
“I tried to sign up, but I got kicked out of the system five or six times before I found out there were no more appointments available,” says Brad, who declines to give his name. family. We were able to come here and get a shot without getting an appointment. The service has been amazing. »
The City of Montreal offers the vaccine to all men who have had sexual relations with other men as well as to those who have been exposed to the disease.
On Saturday, a dozen health care workers were busy in pink and blue tents set up on Sainte-Catherine Street. They informed those who stopped there to find out about the vaccine. Quebec residents were asked for their health insurance card and tourists for identification.
The Dr Michael Libman, an infectious disease expert from McGill University, says offering the vaccine to tourists as well makes perfect sense. He deems this to be the right method to stop the spread of monkeypox. “The main problem is not local spread, it’s people spreading the disease from city to city. »
The World Health Organization has declared an international public health emergency due to the spread of the disease on the surface of the globe. The disease is currently present in more than 70 countries.
In Canada, there were 681 confirmed cases of monkeypox as of Friday, including 331 in Quebec, according to data from the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Most men waiting for a vaccine said they weren’t worried.
“For me, it’s more a question of prevention, but you never know,” said Mario Thouin, a resident of Drummondville.
Isaiah Hagerman was hesitant to get vaccinated, but the WHO announcement convinced him to go ahead. “If someone had tried to give me a brochure a week ago, I wouldn’t have even noticed it. »