Am I protected from monkeypox if I've been vaccinated against smallpox? Your questions answered
The disease is relatively rare and there are no clear links between some of the infections, raising concerns about community spread and undetected cases., the WHO's chief Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the "sudden appearance of monkeypox in many countries at the same time suggests there may have been undetected transmission for some time."
"If you had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine, you are not protected against monkeypox," he told CTVNews.ca via email on May 31., but since they are related, the smallpox vaccine is known to also protect against monkeypox, with a greater than 85 per cent efficacy. But because the smallpox vaccine eradicated the disease, routine smallpox immunization for the general population ended in Canada in 1972.
However, Hoption Cann noted monkeypox is "not an easily transmitted disease like COVID-19" and requires prolonged contact with an infected person or their material for transmission. , and while cases have popped up before in countries where it is not endemic, the cases typically involved people who recently travelled from a country in Africa or imported animals from that country.
The "pox" develops after the onset of a fever and usually occurs between one to three days later, sometimes longer. A rash usually begins on the face and spreads to other parts of the body, developing into distinct, raised bumps that then become filled with fluid or pus.Hoption Cann noted it is possible scars can result from the lesions left by monkeypox, especially if they are picked at or have fluid inside them.