Polio Vaccine Cost

How Much Does Polio Vaccine Cost?

	With Insurance: $10-$40
	Without Insurance: $50-$200+

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.

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.

• 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.

• 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.