Hamilton hosting new monkeypox vaccine clinic on Thursday

Hamilton is set to host another pop-up monkeypox vaccine clinic on Thursday, just days after the city's first confirmed case of the virus was announced.

The clinic will be hosted at the East End Public Health Clinic at 247 Centennial Pkwy N., Unit 8 from 9 to 11 a.m. and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

It's by appointment only and people can book by calling the public health hotline at 905-974-9848, option 7.

The clinic is focused on the city's LGBTQ community.

The city said any transgender, gay or bisexual man who is 18 and older is eligible so long as they:

• Are a contact of someone who recently tested positive for monkeypox.
• Have had two or more sexual partners within the past three weeks or may be planning to.
• Have been diagnosed with a chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis infection over the past two months.
• Have attended, worked or volunteered bath houses, sex clubs and other venues for sexual contact within the past three weeks.
• Have had anonymous or casual sex in the past three weeks.

Over 60 people participated in the city's first pop-up clinic.

Hamilton Public Health Services previously told CBC Hamilton it is routinely investigating one to three suspect cases per week, but as of Tuesday, there is only one confirmed case in the city.

Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, the city's medical officer of health, also said in the media release the risk to the general public is "very low" and "Hamiltonians should not be concerned going about their routine daily activities."

Public Health Ontario has recorded 101 confirmed cases of monkeypox province-wide and the Public Health Agency of Canada has recorded 300 across the country.