*** PRESS RELEASE ***

SAN FRANCISCO – With Pride and summer events approaching, the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) is encouraging mpox vaccination for people who are eligible, including men who have sex with men and transgender women.

While a very small number of mpox cases have been reported in San Francisco so far in 2025, people who are at risk of mpox exposure should be fully vaccinated as it provides the best protection against the virus and will help prevent its spread in the future.

It takes two doses to be fully vaccinated against mpox. Individuals can receive their second dose of the mpox vaccine if it has been at least 28 days since their first dose. There is no need to restart the two-dose series if it has been over 28 days since the first dose.

Booster doses are not recommended at this time for individuals who have completed the two-dose series. In addition, mpox vaccination is not recommended at this time for people who have previously been infected.

“If you are attending Pride or other events throughout the summer, now is a great time to get the mpox vaccine if you are not fully vaccinated and are at risk of getting mpox,” said Dr. Susan Philip, San Francisco Health Officer. “The vaccine is available at health systems, pharmacies, and clinics.”

SFDPH will be making the vaccine available for free at Velvet, San Francisco’s largest queer nightlife collaboration event, for people who are eligible:

Mpox Vaccine Event

Event: Velvet
Location: The Midway, 900 Marin Street
Date: Saturday, May 3
Vaccine Available: 10:00 pm to 3:00 am

You do not need to have a ticket to the Velvet event to get vaccinated.

Clade 1 Mpox Monitoring

SFDPH continues to monitor the spread of mpox globally. There are two types of the virus that causes mpox, clade I and clade II. The 2022 outbreak in the U.S., including California, was caused by clade II mpox. Clade 1 mpox cases have been reported predominately in Central and Eastern Africa, with travel associated cases reported in North America, Asia, and Europe. Since 2024, there have been four clade 1 cases reported in the United States, none of which were reported in San Francisco.

Two doses of the mpox vaccine offer substantial protection and are expected to offer protection regardless of mpox clade. The risk to the general public of being exposed to clade 1 mpox is currently low, and SFDPH will update the public if there are local developments.

For more information about the mpox vaccine and where to get vaccinated, please visit sf.gov/mpox.

###

Media Desk
Department of Public Health Communications
City and County of San Francisco
Twitter: @SF_DPH
Facebook: @sfpublichealth