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 |  | With Insurance: $10-$40 |  | Without Insurance: $50-$200+ |
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Most adults in United States were vaccinated against polio during childhood and do not need a booster. However, a booster is recommended for certain adults at higher risk, including travelers going to Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia or the Middle East. The polio vaccine protects against poliomyelitis, a highly contagious viral disease that can cause paralysis and, in a small number of cases, death.
Typical costs: |
- For patients not covered by health insurance, a polio booster typically costs $50 to $200 or more. For example, at CVS Pharmacy's Minute Clinics[1] , a polio shot costs $115. And at the San Francisco Department of Public Health[2] travel clinic, an initial consultation costs $39 and polio vaccination costs $53 for a total of $92. And at Baylor Travel Medicine in Texas, an initial consultation costs $85 to $150, depending on the complexity of the patient's travel itinerary and medical history, and a follow-up appointment to administer the vaccine costs $25 to $85, and the vaccine costs $49 for a total of at least $159.
- Because a polio vaccination for an adult is considered travel-related, many health insurance plans consider it elective and do not cover it; however, some plans with preventive benefits do cover travel-related vaccinations.
- For patients covered by health insurance, typical expenses include a copay of $10 to $40 for the doctor visit and a copay for the vaccination. For example, this BlueCare Direct HMO[3] covers vaccinations, including those needed for travel, for a $20 copay.
Related articles: Travel Vaccinations, Baby Immunizations
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What should be included: |
- After determining that you need the polio vaccine, the health professional will administer a shot. The booster is more than 99 percent effective when the patient has had the recommended primary series in the past.
Discounts: |
- Public clinics and county health departments often offer low-cost routine vaccinations or booster shots. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services[4] offers a public clinic locator by zip code.
Shopping for polio vaccine: |
- The oral polio vaccine, which is a live vaccine, was used at one time but is no longer recommended in the United States because of the small risk of contracting polio. Instead, a shot is recommended. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a fact sheet[5] about polio vaccination, and also information on polio[6] for travelers.
- You can visit your doctor for routine vaccinations and booster shots. Or, drug stores, such as Walgreens and CVS[7] have clinics that offer polio boosters for adults in some store locations. Or, the CDC offers resources to help you find a travel clinic[8] .
- For most people, the polio shot is considered very safe, and serious side effects are rare. The most common side effect is soreness or redness at the injection site.
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Material on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Always consult your physician or pharmacist regarding medications or medical procedures.
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What People Are Paying - Recent Comments |
| Posted by: a user in Barberton, OH. | Posted: August 13th, 2022 04:08PM |
| Insurance: None | Medical Facility: Walgreens |
Asked for a quote for my friend who does not have insurance, and she quoted us $94 and change. |
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| Posted by: Grownup fun in Fort dodge, IA. | Posted: October 19th, 2015 09:10AM |
| Insurance: Coventry | Medical Facility: Unity point health fort dodge ia |
Can this be right?
Even agents in billing say its wrong, but that it truly is what was billed and the proper cost for it. |
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| Posted by: somebody in columbia, SC. | Posted: July 31st, 2013 05:07PM |
| Insurance: | Medical Facility: cvs minute clinic |
The Walgreens clinic required a prescription and it would have been $61. But factor in going to the doctor just to get a prescription wouldn't have made any sense the doctor visit alone would have been $100. And of course the APRN at CVS wouldn't write a prescription for me to go to Walgreens to get the same shot they offered for $109. I only had a 2 day window to get this done. |
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External Resources: |
- www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/services/price-lists
- www.sfcdcp.org/aitcprices.html
- www.creative-health-insurance.com/AnthemPDFFiles/BlueCareCovRates08.pdf
- findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/Search_HCC.aspx
- www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-IPV.pdf
- wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2012/chapter-3-infectious-diseases-related-to-trav...
- www.minuteclinic.com/
- wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/find-clinic
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