Tips for Lowering Costs of Vaccinations

Now that we have learnt the basics of immunizations needed for RTW travel, here, we share our tips to lower vaccination costs. 

ROUTINE VACCINATIONS

If you are not up to date on booster shots needed for any of the routine vaccinations, please consult your primary care physician. Booster shots for such vaccinations are routinely covered by your health/prescription insurance plan, so all you have to pay would be your co-pay to see your doctor!

Co-pay typically ranges from $15-$35.

RECOMMENDED AND MANDATORY VACCINATIONS

Both DBB and I got our flu shots at work in October. Look for a free flu shot at work!

For Hepatitis A, 2 doses of vaccine are needed for lasting protection. The 2 doses should be administered at least 6 months apart. The Hepatitis A vaccine typically costs about $80-$100.

For typhoid, the oral vaccine is good for 5 years, while the injected vaccine is good for only 2 years. The typhoid vaccine typically costs about $90-$115.

2 years ago, prior to traveling to Cambodia, we received our first dose of the Hepatitis A vaccine and ingested our oral vaccines for typhoid. So all we really needed are the Hepatitis A Booster shots and the Yellow Fever vaccine!

Hepatitis A Booster typically costs $80-100. Yellow Fever vaccine typically costs $130-$160.

Fortunately, the Hepatitis A Booster shot and the Yellow vaccine was covered by our Medco prescription plan. This means, as long as we get the vaccines prescribed to us by a doctor, find a pharmacy to fill the prescription and find a doctor to administer the shots, the vaccines were free!

After calling several travel doctors to ask if they would prescribe vaccines, we finally got a positive response from Morledge Medical. The travel doctor charged a $90 consultation fee to see patients. Luckily, Dr Morledge is also a Primary Care Physician and he only charged us our co-pay to see him!

After Dr. Morledge wrote us scripts for the Hepatitis A Booster shot and Yellow Fever vaccine, we then faced the challenge of locating a pharmacy that actually dispensed the vaccine! Little known fact, our Duane Reades and Walgreens of America do not actually dispense such vaccines! Luckily, we were able to overcome this challenge when we found Downtown Pharmacy.

After picking up our vaccines, we headed straight back to Dr. Morledge who administered our shots, but not before charging us yet another co-pay to see him!

Check if your prescription plan covers your needed vaccines! Check to see if your travel doctor is also a Primary Care Physician! Do you have any other cost saving tips you would like to share?