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Health officials encourage mpox vaccines ahead of Pride festivities; San Mateo Co. reports new case

By KTVU staff
Published  May 18, 2023 5:05pm PDT
Monkeypox
KTVU FOX 2
article

Jynneos monkeypox vaccine.

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Bay Area health officials are encouraging mpox vaccinations for at-risk populations ahead of the summer season and Pride festivities. This week, San Mateo County reported its first case in several months.  

San Mateo County Health says the Bay Area and other parts of the country are seeing a resurgence of the disease that saw outbreaks in 2022. They added that risk of mpox to the public is low, unlike previous public health information advisories for COVID-19, which spreads easily through the air. 

Public health officials remind that mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, spreads through prolonged skin-to-skin contact and bodily fluids from sexual contact or close sustained physical contact. 

Last year, we learned the populations most likely impacted by mpox were persons living with HIV, anyone taking or eligible to take PrEP, and all men, trans people and non-binary people who have sex with men, trans people or non-binary people, according to health officials. 

People infected with mpox may experience rashes on hands, feet, chest, face and mouth, or near their genitals. Other symptoms include fever, chills and muscle aches. 

JYNNEOS manufactured a mpox vaccine that is administered in two doses. Health officials say if you receive the vaccine, your second dose should come 28 days after your first dose. "You are eligible to receive your second dose at any time," San Mateo County Health says. 

In San Francisco, where health officials are once again encouraging at-risk residents to get vaccinated, they say last year 50,000 doses of the vaccine were administered last year to stop the disease's spread. Health officials note the vaccine is not 100% effective. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says infections after vaccination are possible, but they may be milder and less likely to result in hospitalization. CDC reports 50% of those infected in a cluster of mpox cases in the Chicago area are breakthrough infections, meaning these people had previously been vaccinated. 

CDC says research of the JYNNEOS vaccine's efficacy is ongoing. Last fall, following the disease's peak, the spread of pox slowed after deployment of the vaccine, but some U.S. health officials said mpox was here to stay.

San Francisco Department of Public Health says if you received both vaccine doses, that there is no need for a third dose. 

As part of a partnership with SF's public health department, SOMA Second Saturdays, hosted by the Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District, is providing vaccination slots at their monthly events. The vaccines are free, but you must register using a QR code or by checking the state's MyTurn link. The next event is June 10 and is held from noon to 5 p.m. on 12th Street between Folsom and Harrison streets. 

More information on where to access mpox vaccination sites can be found on the city's website at https://sf.gov/information/mpox-vaccine.

More resources: 

Local Resources for Mpox Vaccination

Contra Costa County 
https://cchealth.org/mpx/

San Francisco
https://sf.gov/information/Mpox-vaccine

Santa Clara County 
https://publichealth.sccgov.org/disease-information/monkeypox