The last time West Hollywood dealt with a serious mpox outbreak was 2022, when the pop-up clinic at the library had lines stretching into the parking lot. That was Clade II. Now California health officials are warning about mpox Clade I — and with WeHo Pride six weeks away, the timing is important.
San Francisco announced April 16 that an unvaccinated adult had tested positive for Clade I after close contact with someone who’d recently traveled internationally. The patient was hospitalized. It was the 16th confirmed Clade I case in the United States and the seventh in California.
More than a quarter of those 16 cases were diagnosed in March 2026 alone.
Clade I first turned up in the U.S. in November 2024 — a San Mateo County resident who’d returned from East Africa. L.A. County confirmed cases in October of that year and again in January. No further spread was documented either time.
What makes Clade I different
The Clade II strain caused the 2022 outbreak that tore through West Hollywood and other LGBTQ+ communities nationwide. Clade I is considered potentially more serious. It may cause more severe illness and spread more easily through close personal contact — sex, massage, cuddling. Same general transmission routes, but consequences are rougher.
All 16 U.S. cases so far have been tied to international travel, directly or indirectly. But that cushion may be getting thinner. As of late 2025, countries in central Western Europe started seeing Clade I cases among men who have sex with men with no travel history. The CDC concluded those were likely from intimate or sexual contact within that community. First time that’s happened outside Africa.
Clade I is still rare here. Clade II is the bigger immediate problem. California is still averaging 14.5 mpox cases per week so far this year, which is more than double the rate from the same period in 2025. Most people who got infected hadn’t been vaccinated.
Who needs a shot
State Public Health Officer Dr. Erica Pan called it urgent. “With summer travel and large events approaching, now is the ideal time to protect yourself if you or your sex partner may be at risk,” Pan said.
Those considered at highest risk: men who have sex with men; people who are transgender, nonbinary, or gender-diverse; people living with HIV; those eligible for PrEP; people traveling to areas with active Clade I outbreaks who anticipate sexual contact; people attending commercial sex events; and those with a sex partner in any of those groups. Certain lab workers too.
Two doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine protect against both strains and reduce the risk of severe illness if infected. Second doses can be given regardless of how long it’s been since the first.
Where to get vaccinated in West Hollywood
Men’s Health Foundation has two nearby locations. The Sunset clinic is at 9201 Sunset Blvd., Suite 812 — Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., (310) 550-1010. The Santa Monica location is at 8280 Santa Monica Blvd. Appointments can be booked at menshealthfound.org.
Insured residents — non-Kaiser — can also get JYNNEOS at most chain pharmacies, including CVS and Walgreens. No prescription needed. Call ahead to confirm availability.
LA County Department of Public Health operates sexual health clinics as well. Full information is at publichealth.lacounty.gov.
Symptoms and what to do
Mpox symptoms include rash or unusual sores resembling pimples or blisters on the face, body, or genitals, along with fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes.
Anyone with symptoms should contact their healthcare provider and ask to be tested. People who’ve been exposed should seek vaccination before symptoms appear — don’t wait. Those who have mpox should stay home and avoid contact with others until the rash is completely healed.
Mpox doesn’t spread through casual contact. Not in a store, not on a plane, not at the office.
WeHo Pride 2026 is June 5 through 7.
