Jack and Jill went up to hill to fetch a pail of water. But Jack and Jill are now old and aged so they went to the doctor to get vaccinated. Vaccine for what? Shingles! Can Jack and Jill afford the vaccination? How much does a shingle shot cost? What is shingles? When to get shingle shot? Where can you get vaccinated? These questions might have played on your mind.
If you already had chickenpox before, then shingles is a clueless disease for you. What comes after a storm is rainbow, but that’s too far to be true for chickenpox victims. After experiencing chickenpox, shingles becomes a great probability.
Bucks for the Vacs
How much bucks will you be spending? The price of shingle vaccine differs on every state and hospitals. Shingles vaccine can be acquired on outpatient clinics, private-owned health facilities, or in the pharmacy.
Shingles is a painful disease that causes skin rash that sometimes comes with blisters. Shingles can be acquired by people with chickenpox history. Severe shingles can make the victim blind. The rashes and blisters often show up on the face. Shingle vaccination is recommended for the seniors aged 50 to 65.
“The only way to reduce the risk of developing shingles and the long-term pain from post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) is to get vaccinated. CDC recommends that people aged 60 years and older get one dose of shingles vaccine,” said CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Zastorax® is the only approved shingle vaccine in the United States. Generic counterparts can be found nowhere. In University of Michigan, shingle vaccine cost is $306 with an additional fee of $32 for the administration. Note that not all health care centers have the same prices. Shingles shot rate vary on every health facility.
Is shingle vaccine important? “There are about 130,000 news cases of shingles a year, although that will likely rise as baby boomers age, and not all are severe. But nearly everybody harbors the dormant chickenpox virus, which leads to shingles.
Even if you don’t remember having the childhood disease, you probably did, perhaps a mild, 
undiagnosed case, say doctors,” as reported by The Star. Yes, shingle vaccine cost is high-price but it will be the first line defense against shingles.
Walmart has licensed pharmacists trained to administer shingles vaccine to patients. The price of shingles vaccine on Walmart is $230. They accept most insurance plans especially those that cover shingles vaccination.
How much does a shingles shot cost without insurance? The price typically ranges from $200 and goes up to $350. Additional fees may arise like doctor consultation fee and administration fee that has an average cost of $100 to $150.
Shingle Shot is a Big Shot
Major insurance programs like Medicare covers expense for the shingle vaccination in the Medicare Plan D. Medicare Plan B covers expense for administering. If covered by insurance, the shingles shot cost will only be $20 to $110 out-of-the-pocket as co-pay; in an average cost of $50 to $100. If you’ve signed up for Medicare Plan D, take your ID with you all the time mostly on time of visitation for the vaccination. Vaccination can be done on pharmacies and other health clinics that offer shingles vaccination. It is administered by professional health care providers like pharmacists and physicians.
Should you get vaccinated? WebMD eloquently answered, “It’s the only way to lower your risk of getting this a condition, which causes a rash, headache, chills, upset stomach, and shooting pain. Some people who get shingles have long-lasting nerve damage, which means you could have severe pain for weeks, months, or years after the rash has cleared up.” Patients aged 50 and above are favorably allowed for the shingles vaccination. When severe shingles left untreated, it causes blindness to victims due to post-herpetic neuralgia.
Treatment for shingles costs $50 to $500 regardless if covered by insurance. Otherwise, co-pays are also an amount to pay. The price of shingle vaccine is far cheaper than the treatment itself.
How much does shingles vaccine cost? The typical cost of shingles vaccine starts from $100 to $350 including doctor consultation fee and the administering charge. If covered by insurance, the rate drastically tunes from $50 to $200. Co-pays and other out-of-pocket fees may greatly vary. Remember, the estimations are based on average shingles vaccine rate around the region; prices may still differ on your local health facilities, doctor, or your preferred pharmacy.
Prevention Always Wins
Contact the nearest hospital or pharmacy on your area and canvass for the shingles vaccine rate that can fit in your pocket. Health is wealth. Having a shingles vaccine is not a treatment; it is your fence of defense against the great probability from this nasty disease. CVS Pharmacy declared that nearly 1 in 3 adults develop shingles during their lifetime.
It is not lethal to take shots for shingles. As we age, our body goes weaker, it gets more vulnerable. And diseases, like shingles, are devoted to make our life complicated, physically and financially. So never spend your savings up to the last dollar. It is important to keep some cash for the use of medical urgencies.
If budget is a heavy load to carry on, talk to your health provider so they can help you get vaccination at your cost. Insurance companies hugely helped thousands to spend less than expected. Apply for insurance if you still haven’t got one.
Shingles vaccination is costly but it will help possible shingles victims, most commonly the elderly. We never know what would come next, but we can hope for a better tomorrow by wise preparation and prevention.
Hi I have suffered with reoccurring shingles for a period of almost 18years now and I have been on medication named acciclovor. Problem now is I am on a government benefit and I cannot afford $50 dollars every couple of weeks, hence I have to save up until I can afford the Meds, in turn I am suffering greatly as the shingles never leave constantly in pain to the point of thinking suicidal thought it really is horrible the government should be able to assist long term sufferers it has nothing to do with age. I am 62 and have been suffering all this time. Please is there something that can assist ?? Suffering everyday….