Monkeypox vaccine clinic pop-up at Windsor-Essex Pride Fest Sunday

A health professional prepares a dose of a monkeypox vaccine at the Edison municipal vaccination centre in Paris Wednesday July 27, 2022. (Alain Jocard, Pool via AP, FIle)

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit will be hosting its first monkeypox vaccine clinic at Pride Fest on Sunday.

In collaboration with the Windsor-Essex Pride Fest and Pozitive Pathways, the health unit will host the monkeypox pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) vaccine clinic in Lanspeary Park between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

"This is the first time that we're actually offering the vaccine at the public health Service to individuals who have not contracted the disease, have not contracted monkeypox," acting medical officer of health Dr. Shanker Nesathurai said. 

The health unit said vaccines will be administered to those eligible following a successful screening.

"Now that we have the availability of vaccine and we have a commitment to receiving vaccine. We want to distribute the vaccine in the most effective way to minimize the burden of illness,” Dr. Nesathurai said. 

As vaccine supply is limited, they will be administered on a first-come-first-serve basis.

“The pride event is just one step in providing access and availability," he said. 

To learn more about monkeypox, and vaccine eligibility visit the WECHU website.

- With files from CTV News Windsor's Chris Campbell