San Diego public-health leaders are urging residents at higher risk for mpox to roll up their sleeves for a second time, warning that one JYNNEOS shot is not cutting it as local cases tick up this spring. County and state teams say finishing the two-dose series provides stronger protection and could help blunt further spread, and they are ramping up outreach as summer travel and big gatherings move onto the calendar.
On April 17, the state took the unusual step of issuing a broad advisory that high-risk Californians should get both doses of the mpox vaccine after surveillance showed rising clade II activity and a travel-linked clade I infection, which can cause more severe illness, according to the Los Angeles Times. The California Department of Public Health advisory underscored that completing the JYNNEOS series is still the main tool the state has to keep the virus in check.
Local spread and vaccine gaps
County vaccination records reviewed by The San Diego Union-Tribune show roughly 19,000 residents received a first JYNNEOS dose but about 6,800 never came back for the recommended second shot, leaving a sizable protection gap. Local reporting also says the county has recorded about a dozen clade II cases so far this year, and county data show 637 total mpox cases historically.
The County of San Diego's health resources page urges clinicians to offer vaccination to people at risk and provides links to clinic locations and reporting guidance, according to County of San Diego Public Health. Officials say the goal is to get those partially vaccinated residents across the finish line before the season of crowded dance floors and packed festivals really kicks in.
Why the second dose matters
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends two JYNNEOS doses, with the second about four weeks after the first, and says maximum protection develops roughly two weeks after dose two. Infectious-disease specialist Dr. David “Davey” Smith told The San Diego Union-Tribune that people who missed their second JYNNEOS dose can still get it, stressing that late completion still boosts protection.
Health officials emphasize that vaccination, paired with avoiding close skin-to-skin contact with someone who has a rash or other mpox symptoms, remains the best defense for now. In other words, the second shot is meant to work with common-sense precautions, not replace them.
Where to get the shot
People most likely to be offered the vaccine include men who have sex with men, transgender and nonbinary people with recent sexual risk, people with HIV, recent contacts of confirmed cases and travelers to areas with clade I transmission, according to public-health guidance. For local appointments and clinic locations, residents can consult the county's mpox resources or call the Epidemiology Unit at (619) 692-8499, per County of San Diego Public Health.
County officials say clinics are expanding access ahead of summer events and that anyone with symptoms should seek testing and isolate until cleared by a medical professional, especially if they have had close contact with someone known or suspected to have mpox.
