SERVICE

Get mpox vaccines, testing, and treatment

San Francisco City Clinic

What to know

The vaccine is the best protection against mpox

  • The vaccine lowers the chance of getting mpox
  • If you do get mpox, the vaccine lowers the chance of the infection being severe and leading to hospitalization

Summer and fall is mpox season in SF

Mpox cases have risen in the summer and fall each year since 2022.

What to do

Get the mpox vaccine

If you have insurance:

  • Ask your healthcare provider for the vaccine. 
  • You can also check with CVS, Walgreens, Safeway, Costco, or other retail pharmacies. Book online to make sure your store has the vaccine.
  • The vaccine is covered by most insurance.

If you do not have insurance, or your insurance does not cover the vaccine:

If you do not have insurance or your insurance does not fully cover the cost, you can get it for free at these clinics, while supplies last:

The vaccine is 2 doses

  • Get 2 doses of the vaccine 4 weeks apart.
  • If more than 4 weeks have passed since dose 1, get dose 2 as soon as you can. You do not need to repeat dose 1.
  • 2 doses is a complete vaccination. There is no dose 3.

Who should get the vaccine

Who we recommend the mpox vaccine for

We recommend the vaccine if you:

  • Are a gay, bisexual, or other man who has sex with men, or
  • Are transgender, nonbinary, or gender-diverse, or
  • Are living with HIV, or
  • Use PrEP or are eligible to take PrEP, or
  • Use doxy-PEP, or
  • Have sex at commercial sex venues or large commercial events, or
  • Are a sex worker, or
  • You have a sex partner who was diagnosed with mpox.

We also recommend the vaccine for you if any of your sex partners are in the groups listed above.

People traveling to a country with a clade I mpox outbreak

We recommend the vaccine if:

You are traveling to a country with a clade I mpox outbreak and anticipate any of the following activities during travel, no matter your gender identity or sexual orientation:

  • Sex with a new partner
  • Sex at a commercial sex venue (e.g., a sex club or bathhouse)
  • Sex in exchange for money, goods, drugs, or other trade
  • Sex in association with a large public event (e.g., a rave, party, or festival)
  • You are at risk for occupational exposure to orthopoxviruses (e.g., certain people who work in a laboratory or a healthcare facility).

Find travel health recommendations for each country.

Laboratory personnel

The vaccine is also recommended for certain research and clinical laboratory personnel who work with orthopoxviruses.

Get mpox testing and treatment

Testing

Testing is available for people who have a rash that looks like mpox. Health care providers do the testing.

If you have a health care provider, contact them to ask for the testing.

If you do not have a health care provider, go to one of these free clinics:

Treatment

Most people get well from mpox without needing any medicines or other treatment. A medication called tecovirimat (or TPOXX) may be given for people with severe mpox. Talk to your doctor if you think you might need TPOXX.

The short URL for this page is sf.gov/mpox.