Health director outlines vaccine clinics and monkeypox response amid public calls to reinstate indoor mask mandates

San Francisco’s Director of Health, Grant Colfax, told the Health Commission the department is running back‑to‑school vaccine clinics and expanding monkeypox vaccination capacity in city clinics. "These clinics will provide all vaccines required for school entry," Colfax said, and noted the clinics include COVID vaccines at Zuckerberg San Francisco Hospital and Southeast Health Center.

On monkeypox, Colfax said the city has recorded 563 cases and that more than 95% of infections remain among men who have sex with men and trans men. He said the department is increasing clinic hours at Zuckerberg and expanding sites citywide, and that intradermal dosing guidance under review could allow one vial to be split into multiple doses once protocols are approved.

Public commenters pressed the commission to reinstate an indoor mask mandate and to set clear on/off metrics for mitigation. Alyssa Matros, a caller who identified herself as a physician, urged a return to indoor masking: "Please choose indoor masking as your policy," she said. A coalition of callers representing Senior and Disability Action and Marked by COVID urged the commission to prioritize protections for people at high risk of severe disease and long COVID.

Commissioners discussed mask availability on public transit and coordination with Muni. Commissioner Chao noted Muni reported roughly an 80% voluntary compliance rate and asked DPH to work with transit to distribute high‑quality masks at stations and on vehicles. Colfax said the department will ask Muni for a formal, written update and coordinate distribution and messaging.

DPH also announced a local partnership to study long COVID prevalence with UCSF and San Mateo County and previewed the NIH‑sponsored RECOVER project that will follow participants for three to four years. Commissioners asked DPH to ensure outreach includes multilingual and hard‑to‑reach communities.

The commission took no immediate policy action on mandates but directed staff to continue coordinating with Muni and school district officials and to provide follow‑up information to commissioners and the public.