Most routine immunizations cost between $27 and $250 per dose at retail price, but what you actually pay depends almost entirely on your insurance status. If you have insurance through the marketplace, an employer, Medicare, or Medicaid, you likely owe nothing for recommended vaccines. Without coverage, a single flu shot runs about $27 to $40, while a two-dose shingles series can top $490.
Retail Prices for Common Vaccines
If you’re paying out of pocket, here’s what major pharmacies typically charge per dose, based on current pricing through discount programs like GoodRx:
- Flu shot: $27 to $40
- Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough): $59
- MMR (measles, mumps, rubella): $106
- Hepatitis B: $156
- HPV (Gardasil 9): $170 per dose, with two or three doses needed depending on age, bringing the total series cost to $340 to $510
- Chickenpox (Varivax): $196
- Shingles (Shingrix): $247 per dose, $494 for the full two-dose series
These are the vaccine costs alone. Most providers also charge a separate administration fee for the actual injection, which typically runs $30 to $45 per shot. Medicare’s standard administration payment is about $34 per dose for preventive vaccines and $45 for COVID-19 shots, and private providers charge in a similar range. That means a shingles vaccine that lists at $247 could cost closer to $290 once the administration fee is added.
What Insurance Covers at No Cost
The Affordable Care Act requires all marketplace plans and most employer-sponsored plans to cover recommended adult immunizations with no copay, no coinsurance, and no deductible. The covered list includes flu, tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, HPV, measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, shingles, meningococcal, and pneumococcal vaccines. As long as you receive the vaccine from an in-network provider, your cost is zero.
This applies to the full recommended schedule. So even expensive vaccines like the HPV series or the shingles series are completely free with qualifying insurance, a savings of several hundred dollars.
Medicare Coverage
Medicare splits vaccine coverage between two parts, which can cause confusion. Part B covers flu, pneumonia, hepatitis B (for people at higher risk), and COVID-19 vaccines at no cost to you. There’s no coinsurance or deductible for these shots.
Everything else falls under Part D, the prescription drug benefit. This includes shingles, Tdap, RSV, and other recommended vaccines. Since 2023, Part D plans charge nothing out of pocket for any vaccine recommended by the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. This applies even if you get the shot from an out-of-network provider, though you may need to pay the administration fee upfront and request reimbursement from your plan afterward.
Free Vaccines for Children
The federal Vaccines for Children program provides all routine childhood immunizations at no cost for kids under 19 who meet any of these criteria: uninsured, enrolled in or eligible for Medicaid, American Indian or Alaska Native, or underinsured (meaning their insurance doesn’t fully cover vaccines or requires copays for them). Underinsured children can receive free vaccines specifically at federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics.
Children with private insurance that covers vaccinations don’t qualify for this program, but their plans are required under the ACA to cover all recommended childhood vaccines without cost-sharing. In practice, this means nearly all children in the U.S. can receive their full immunization schedule at no direct cost to families.
Travel Vaccines Cost More
Vaccines required for international travel are where costs add up, because standard insurance plans often don’t cover them. Typhoid vaccination averages about $130 per person for the injectable version and $80 for the oral version at clinics. Getting it at a pharmacy is cheaper, around $107 for the shot. Yellow fever vaccine runs approximately $225 per dose.
Even when insurance partially covers travel vaccines, out-of-pocket costs averaged about $28 per person for typhoid, covering roughly 21% to 33% of the total cost. If you need multiple travel vaccines for a single trip, budget $200 to $500 or more depending on your destination’s requirements.
How to Lower Your Costs Without Insurance
Pharmacy discount programs like GoodRx can reduce vaccine prices significantly, sometimes by up to 80% compared to list prices. Comparing prices across pharmacies is worth the effort. The same typhoid vaccine that costs $136 at a clinic averages $107 at a pharmacy.
Federally qualified health centers offer vaccines on a sliding fee scale based on income, so if you’re uninsured or underinsured, you may pay well below retail. Local health departments also run immunization clinics, particularly during flu season, where vaccines are available free or at reduced cost. Some pharmacies offer free flu shots during promotional periods regardless of insurance status.
For adults without insurance who need multiple vaccines, the CDC’s Bridge Access Program and similar state-level initiatives periodically provide free vaccines for uninsured adults, though availability varies by location and funding year. Calling your local health department is the fastest way to find out what’s currently available in your area.