With up to 198 million doses of seasonal flu vaccine available this year, everyone should be able to get a flu vaccine. And that is good news, especially since the flu vaccine recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) continue to state that all persons 6 months and older should get a yearly flu shot.

Although the best time to figure out where your family will get a flu shot is before flu season really gets started, you can likely still find a flu shot if you need one.

Find a Flu Shot

A good supply of flu shots doesn’t necessarily mean that every family will be able to get a flu vaccine for their kids, though, as flu shots aren’t necessarily cheap.

Large numbers of kids without insurance and other family’s without the money to cover doctor co-pays could make you think that a flu shot is too expensive this year.

If your kids get sick with the flu you may find that it is even more expensive, though, especially if you have to take time off work, not even considering any doctor or hospital expenses. There are places to get low-cost or free flu shots for kids, though.

Resources for Flu Shots

If you have health insurance for your kids, you might see if flu shots are covered and if any extra flu shot administration fees your doctor charges are also covered.

For those families that need help getting a flu shot for their kids, some sources of free flu shots to consider might include:

The flu vaccine is covered by most insurance plans that cover other childhood immunizations, including Medicaid.

  • Your local health departmentA pediatrician that participates in the Vaccines for Children programA local health clinic that gives other free or low-cost vaccinesA church-sponsored flu clinicA school-based flu clinic

Keep in mind that some of these types of flu clinics may charge a small flu shot administration fee.

National pharmacies, including Rite Aid, Walgreens, and CVS, and many grocery store pharmacies, like at Kroger, Tom Thumb, and Walmart, can be another place to get low-cost flu shots for older kids. Many are giving flu shots to kids who are at least 8 years old (pricing may vary, based on location); Flumist and the newer quadrivalent flu vaccines are probably more expensive.