Imvamune Vaccine Should Be Offered As A Two-Dose Primary Series
In alignment with the recently updated Ministry of Health Monkeypox Vaccine (Imvamune®) Guidance for Health Care Providers, Imvamune® vaccine should be offered as a two-dose primary series, with at least 28 days between the first and second dose, for individuals currently eligible for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
The following individuals are eligible to receive a two-dose primary series of Imvamune® for PrEP:
a) Two-spirit, non-binary, transgender cisgender, intersex, or gender-queer individuals who self-identify or have sexual partners who self-identify as belonging to the gay, bisexual, pansexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) community AND at least one of the following:
- Had a confirmed sexually transmitted infection within the last year;
- Have or are planning to have two or more sexual partners or are in a relationship where at least one of the partners has other sexual partners;
- Have attended venues for sexual contact recently (i.e., bathhouses, sex clubs), or may be planning to, or who work/volunteer in these settings;
- Have had anonymous sex (e.g., using hookup apps) recently or may be planning to;
- Are a sexual contact of an individual who engages in sex work.
b) Individuals who self-identify as engaging in sex work or are planning to, regardless of self-identified sex or gender.
c) Household and/or sexual contacts of those identified for PrEP eligibility, as listed in parts a) and b) above AND who are moderately to severely immunocompromised or pregnant may be at higher risk for severe illness from a monkeypox infection and may be considered for PrEP.
To assist with vaccine counselling and for the definition of moderately to severely immunocompromised, see the Ministry of Health document, Monkeypox Vaccine (Imvamune®) Guidance for Health Care Providers, Version 3.0.
If your patient meets criteria c) above, please provide a physician attestation by calling the Sexual Health Information line at 905-528-5894 Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm or completing the Physician Attestation form and faxing it to 905-546-4078.
Imvamune® two-dose primary series eligibility for PEP:
Individuals who are newly identified by their local public health unit as having a high or intermediate-risk exposure with someone diagnosed with monkeypox may be eligible to receive Imvamune®. These individuals will be contacted directly by their local public health unit.
Individuals who were previously identified as an intermediate or high-risk contact AND received one dose of Imvamune®, may be eligible to receive a 2nd dose. These
individuals should be advised to call the Sexual Health Information line at 905-528-5894 to determine if they are eligible.
Vaccine Bookings and Clinic Access
Individuals meeting the eligibility criteria in part a) or b) above, can book their first and second dose of PrEP (Imvamune®) by calling our Sexual Health Info Line at 905-528-5894 Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
Appointments are being offered at the Hamilton Sexual Health Clinic located in the David Braley Health Sciences Centre at 100 Main St. W., 3rd Floor, every Wednesday from 4 pm until 7 pm. Due to limited vaccine supply and stringent storage and handling requirements, walk-in appointments are not currently offered.
For more information please visit our Public Health Services (PHS) Monkeypox website located at www.hamilton.ca/monkeypox