Flu vaccines: a pinch in the arm, but not always in your wallet

NEW YORK – It's the flu season, but the pinch of a shot does not hurt your wallet.

Health officials recommend that almost all Americans receive flu vaccines to lessen the impact of a disease that infects millions of people each year.

About 145 million Americans get a flu shot every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This figure represents about 60% of children and 40% of adults.

Here's what you need to know about immunization:

Where and how

The good news is that many people have nothing to pay. The Affordable Care Act required insurers to cover the cost of patients' flu shots without paying a purchase fee, even though some insurers only cover vaccines administered by doctors or in certain locations.

A government program also funds injections for low-income children.

Traditionally, most people have been vaccinated against influenza in doctors' offices or public health centers. But pharmacies and workplaces have become places of choice for vaccination, especially for adults.

CDC officials say they do not know exactly how many people pay for gunfire themselves.

For those who pay cash, pharmacies usually charge $ 20 to $ 45 per shot, but the price may vary depending on which pharmacy you visit. In addition, the cost can reach $ 70 or more if you get the higher dose version of the vaccine offered to seniors.

Some pharmacies offer discounts and other incentives. For example, CVS offers its customers in some of its pharmacies a $ 5 coupon redeemable at Target stores.

Websites such as https://vaccinefinder.org can help locate the available doses in your neighborhood.

BENEFITS AND TYPES

According to the CDC, the flu costs the nation about $ 7 billion a year in sick leave and lost productivity for working-age adults. Not to mention the heavy toll of hospitalizations and deaths that mainly affect people aged 65 and over.

The vaccine is considered the best tool available to fight the flu, but it's not perfect.

Influenza viruses are evolving rapidly and it is difficult to make a very effective vaccine. This is especially true for the protection of the elderly. During last winter's influenza season, the vaccines barely worked to keep the elderly out of the hospital, with an efficiency of about 24%.

Yet even a disappointing vaccine reduces the severity of the disease and saves many lives, according to officials.

Five companies make an influenza vaccine for the US market. More than 80% of doses are designed to protect against four strains of influenza. The others protect against three.

One company offers a version of nasal spray flu vaccine, but health experts have recently debated whether it was as good as injections.

WHEN TO GET VACCINATED

The CDC is inviting people to get vaccinated against the flu by the end of October.

Health officials want people to be vaccinated before the flu season, and in recent years the disease has intensified in parts of the country by November. In addition, children who are vaccinated for the first time are expected to receive two doses approximately four weeks apart, so it is important that this be done quickly.

But some doctors believe that the vaccine has been disappointing in some seasons because its protection can quickly disappear against some influenza viruses, apparently most dramatically in people 65 years and older. The observation has not been thoroughly researched, but it is possible that elderly people vaccinated in September may not be well protected in February.

Concerns about the effectiveness of fading are "definitely something to consider, but it's not something at this point that we really know how to balance other issues," said Dr. Lisa Grohskopf, Divisional Physician Influenza of the CDC.

Because the CDC wants people to be protected if the flu breaks out early, "October is not unreasonable," she said.

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