How to Get the Shingles Vaccine if You Don't Have a Primary Care Doctor

If you’re a healthy adult aged 50 and older, you’re likely to be eligible for the new shingles vaccine. You may also be eligible if you’re 19 and older and have a medical condition that affects your immune system.

Many people find out if they’re eligible for the shingles vaccine from their primary care doctors. What if you don’t have a primary care provider?

“If you’ve heard of the shingles vaccine, and you want to get it but you don’t have a primary care doctor, there are a couple of things you can do,” explains Stella Safo, MD, Primary Care Physician at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

What are ways to get the shingles vaccine if you don’t have a primary care doctor?

If you’d like to get the shingles vaccine but you don’t have a primary care provider, there are a few other ways to get it.

For example, you can try your local pharmacy and see if the pharmacists there have the shingles vaccine available. You should, however, check to make sure that your health insurance will cover it.

Second, you can reach out to your local public health office to find out about community vaccine clinics where you might get your shingles vaccine.

Third, you can look online for financial assistance programs for getting the shingles vaccine.

“That information is often something that requires a little bit of searching, but it’s worth it,” says Safo.

Why is it a good idea to have a primary care doctor?

Even if you can access the shingles vaccine without a primary care doctor, it’s a really good idea to have one, Safo says. That’s because your primary care provider can keep you up to date on other vaccines and important health screenings.

“You want to have someone who is responsible for taking care of your health,” says Safo. “If you’re able, we really encourage every person to have a primary care physician or primary care clinician that will work with them.”

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Written by:

Marisa Taylor Karas

Marisa Taylor Karas is a freelance journalist based in Brooklyn who has covered health, gender, and technology for 15 years. She previously worked at The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and Al Jazeera America, among other publications, and also served as managing editor of the Mellon Foundation in New York City.

Reviewed by:

Mera Goodman, MD, FAAP

Mera Goodman, MD, FAAP, is a board-certified pediatrician. Prior to practicing medicine, she worked as a management consultant.

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