The San Francisco Monthly STI Report (sfdph.org) for September is now available for viewing here or click on the image.

In early June, the first case of monkeypox (now known as mpox) was identified in San Francisco, and as of November 2, 2022, a total of 833 cases have been identified in SF. There has been a notable decline in mpox case counts, and now over 27,000 San Franciscans have been vaccinated against mpox. In response, the SFDPH ended the public health emergency on mpox on October 31, 2022.  

Despite the drastic decline in mpox cases since the peak of the outbreak in August 2022, mpox has not been eradicated and we must remain vigilant to prevent future outbreaks. We request that clinicians:

• Maintain clinical suspicion for mpox when seeing a patient with new rash or lesions characteristic of mpox
• Test patients with symptoms suspicious for mpox
• Continue to offer vaccine to ALL eligible patients. The most up to date mpox vaccine eligibility criteria are here, which includes gay or bisexual men, or any man, trans or nonbinary person who has sex with men, trans or nonbinary people; sex workers of any sexual orientation or gender identity; all persons living with HIV; and all persons who are taking or are eligible to take PrEP
• Ensure that patients receive BOTH DOSES of the 2-dose Jynneos vaccine series. The mpox vaccine is most effective when administered as a series of 2 injections at least 4 weeks apart.
• Provide the option for subcutaneous vaccine administration vaccine. Preliminary evidence suggests patients are hesitant to receive the vaccine intradermally due to concerns of a localized injection site reaction and/or potential stigma. CDC and CDPH are now allowing flexibility with route of vaccine administration in response to these concerns and the increasing vaccination supply.

While the mpox emergency response has ended, you can continue to find updated mpox guidance for SF providers at www.sfcdcp.org/monkeypoxHCP, including information on testing, treatment, and patient education.

For the full monthly report this editorial appeared in, please visit Department of Public Health - Research, Health Assessments & Data (sfdph.org) webpage and scroll down to San Francisco Monthly STI Reports.