(Kevin Woodward/ The Conversation) — The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. It’s likely that until about two months ago, many Canadians had not even heard of this disease.
Since May, monkeypox has been in the news everywhere, including Canada, where the number of infections has reached 681 as of July 22. It has started spreading from major cities such as Toronto and Montréal into regional centres such as Hamilton, where the first case was publicly reported July 4.
The good news is this: monkeypox is still quite isolated relative to the total population. There is still time to knock it back, and there is already an effective vaccine available, though supplies are limited. (…)