At LesliesList.org we get many emails asking where an adult can get low cost vaccines.
It appears the answer is… nowhere. They don’t exist– unless you are an established patient in one of the county-funded or low-cost clinics in your metropolitan area. However, you can save a little money by comparison shopping. I think your best bet is to try one of the walk-in clinic chains at CVS or Walgreens.
The Take Care Clinics (at Walgreens) website offers a list of vaccines available but I had to call the customer service number to get each price. The Minute Clinic (at CVS) website has a vaccine list with prices. I have also included this price list below for comparison convenience.
The websites offer additional information regarding age criteria for the vaccines. You should also know that some of the vaccines are actually a series, meaning that you need more than one shot to be completely vaccinated. Other shots require a consultation fee (i.e. a visit with the provider) that costs extra, too. Here’s a look at what the vaccines cost at the two clinic chains and at a private primary care clinic on the north side of Chicago. The private clinic prices are a cash-pay discounted price (a 25% reduction of the usual fee) for the vaccines. It is important to note that while the private clinic prices might seem comparable, there are a couple of caveats: 1. These prices do NOT include administration costs that can run between $41- $25 per shot series. 2. You need to be an established patient of the clinic to get these shots, which is not the case for the Minute Clinics or Take Care Clinics.
Minute Clinic price list (CVS)
Flu (seasonal) $30
Hepatitis A (series of two shots) (adult): $117 per shot
Hepatitis B (series of three shots) (adult): $102 per shot
IPV (polio): $96
Meningitis: $147
MMR (measles, mumps, rubella): $116
PPSV (pneumonia): $77
TD (tetanus, diphtheria): $76
Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) $92
HPV: not available
Take Care Clinic price list (Walgreens)
Tdap (tetanus, diptheria, pertussis): $65
MMR (measles, mumps, rubella): $96
Hepatitis A: not offered
Hepatitis B (series of three shots): $80 per shot
Twinrix (combination of Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B; series of three shots): $96 per shot
Shingles (over 60 years old): $220
Flu : $30
Pneumonia: $64
HPV (series of three shots): 1st: $215 (includes a $30 consultation fee), 2nd and 3rd shots: $185
Private primary care clinic discounted price list
Tdap: $48
Flu: $30
Hepatitis A (series of two shots): $94 per shot
Hepatitis B (series of three shots): $71 per shot
Twinrix (combination of Hepatitis A and B; series of three shots): $120 per shot
MMR: $68
HPV (series of three shots): $180 per shot
Leslie Ramirez is an internal medicine physician and founder of Leslie’s List, which provides information that enables all patients, but especially the uninsured and underinsured, to find more affordable medications and health care services.
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