How to Save Money on Your CVS Immunizations

With so much attention given to COVID-19 over the years, it’s easy to forget that other vaccine-preventable illnesses continue to pose health threats. Sometimes all it takes is stepping on a rusty nail or a loved one’s painful bout with shingles to bring routine immunizations top of mind.

For those who have put off regular vaccines, the CDC posts recommended vaccination schedules for children and adults. If you’re looking to catch up on your vaccinations or help your child or parent do so, CVS can help.

The retail pharmacy giant offers more than 15 different vaccines — from diphtheria to varicella (chickenpox) — across its CVS Pharmacy, CVS MinuteClinic, and CVS Inside Target locations. Read on to find out how to get the best value on vaccines for your money.

What kinds of vaccines are available at CVS?

CVS Pharmacy offers its full list of vaccines online. Among the most commonly requested ones are:

• Influenza (flu): The flu vaccine is offered on a seasonal basis. Two different kinds are available. Four-strain (quadrivalent) flu vaccine protects against four strains of the virus for children and adults. The high-dose flu vaccine is for people ages 65 and older. 

• Shingles: The shingles vaccine is recommended for adults age 50 and older. It’s given in two doses spaced 2 to 6 months apart.

• COVID: COVID vaccines are widely available for adults and kids ages 6 months and older. The number of doses you’ll need is ever evolving, though, so here’s how to stay up to date.

• RSV: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines are now available for the first time. Pregnant women and adults ages 60 and older are eligible to receive a dose. 

• Tdap: The CDC recommends the combination tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine for adolescents and adults every 10 years to protect against all three infections.

CVS also offers vaccines for:

• Chickenpox

• Hepatitis A

• Hepatitis B

• Human papillomavirus (HPV)

• Japanese encephalitis

• Meningitis

• Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)

• Pneumonia

• Polio

• Rabies

• Typhoid

Each state has its own age requirements and other vaccine restrictions, so be sure to check your local store’s rules before heading to CVS. The minimum age requirement for most CVS Pharmacy locations is 3 years old.

Do you have to make an appointment? 

Most pharmacy staff members prefer that you make an appointment for COVID vaccines ahead of time at CVS.com. Same-day appointments are often available online. You can also answer the vaccine-specific questionnaire online instead of filling it out in person. However, walk-ins are now being accepted at many CVS Pharmacy locations too.

You may want to call ahead to your local CVS Pharmacy and make sure your desired vaccine is in stock. You can also check to see if there’s a wait at the store or clinic. 

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• A different type of travel insurance: If you’re traveling out of the country, you may need to receive one or more vaccinations in preparation for your trip. This will depend on your destination.

• Fighting back against viruses: Respiratory illnesses are abundant in the fall and winter seasons. Here’s a guide to getting vaccinated against COVID-19, flu, and RSV during this time.

• Transferring your prescription: Want to move your prescription to or from CVS Pharmacy? You can do it in a few quick steps.

How much do vaccines cost at CVS?

If you have health insurance, there’s a good chance it’ll cover the cost of your vaccination. But there are times where you may need to pay for a vaccine out of pocket. 

Here are the retail costs — the cost without insurance — for several in-demand vaccines at CVS Pharmacy, as of June 2024.

If you live in an area that has both CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic, compare prices and insurance coverage. You may be able to get a slightly better price by shopping around.

How much do vaccines cost at MinuteClinic?

MinuteClinic is a walk-in clinic that provides health screenings, treatment for common illnesses, and vaccinations for children, teens, and adults. It’s located inside more than 1,100 CVS Pharmacy and Target locations in more than 30 states and Washington, D.C. Most CVS HealthHUB locations also offer the same services as MinuteClinic.

Unlike CVS Pharmacy, where pharmacists give shots, MinuteClinic is staffed by other healthcare professionals. A nurse practitioner or physician assistant will likely deliver your immunization instead of a pharmacist.

MinuteClinic accepts most insurance plans and lists its prices on its website. The prices represent the fee for a vaccine only. If you end up discussing other healthcare concerns during your vaccine appointment, you also may be charged for a separate medical visit. 

Here are MinuteClinic cash prices for some of the most commonly requested vaccines, as of June 2024:

What kind of insurance does CVS accept for vaccines?

CVS accepts more than 5,000 health insurance plans for vaccinations. Many routine vaccinations are considered preventive care under the Affordable Care Act and must be covered with no charge to you for visits to an in-network provider. 

As a result, people with private insurance often find they have zero copays for routine vaccinations at retail pharmacies. But you’ll want to check with your plan or ask the pharmacist to run your insurance card before you receive the vaccine to be sure.

Does Medicare cover vaccines?

Medicare covers the flu and pneumococcal vaccines at 100% under Part B, along with the hepatitis B vaccine for those at higher risk. That means no out-of-pocket cost to the patient. A tetanus shot after experiencing a deep wound or burn also should be covered.

Medicare Part D plans should cover the shingles vaccine, but check with your plan. You may have to pay at least a portion out of pocket if you haven’t yet reached your deductible for the year (if your plan has a deductible). There may be a copay, depending on your plan.

Is the shingles vaccine covered by Medicare and can you get it at CVS?

Because the shingles vaccine requires two doses, if you have to pay full price, it may approach the maximum yearly Medicare Part D deductible.

If that’s the case, you may want to consider getting your vaccine early in the year. This way you don’t have to worry about your deductible resetting in a new plan year soon after meeting it. You should discuss the risks and benefits of this strategy with your prescriber.

As far as going to CVS Pharmacy or CVS in Target to get your shingles vaccine, this is definitely an option. You can always call ahead or go online to schedule same-day appointments, or go in on a walk-in basis at many locations. 

How to save money on vaccinations at CVS

If you’re uninsured or having trouble paying for your vaccines, talk to your CVS pharmacist or pharmacy technician.

GoodRx offers discounts on vaccines as well as medications. You can print or show the CVS pharmacy staff member a GoodRx coupon. For the shingles vaccine Shingrix, for example, you can save as much as 12% off the average retail price. Another GoodRx coupon can help save as much as 30% off a Tdap vaccine. Many other discounts are also available.

How to get low-cost or free vaccines

Children can receive financial assistance through the federal Vaccines for Children program. This is meant for kids who are:

• Uninsured 

• Underinsured 

• Medicaid-eligible

• American Indian or Alaska Native

Savings opportunities for adults are also available. Here’s a full breakdown of how adults can get free or low-cost vaccines.

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Written by:

Kristen Gerencher, MSOT

Kristen Gerencher is an award-winning writer who has reported on healthcare, medicine, and insurance for a variety of national publications. Before contributing to GoodRx, she was a healthcare and personal finance reporter for MarketWatch.

Edited by:

Joshua Murdock, PharmD, BCBBS

Joshua Murdock, PharmD, BCBBS, is a licensed pharmacist in Arizona, Colorado, and Rhode Island. He has worked in the pharmacy industry for more than 10 years and currently serves as a pharmacy editor for GoodRx.

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