COVID-19 Vaccine Could Cost up to $150 amid Insurance Uncertainty

Millions of Americans seeking a Covid-19 booster this fall may face out-of-pocket costs as high as $150, following a significant shift in federal vaccination policy. The potential for high charges stems from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) no longer recommending the vaccine for healthy children and pregnant individuals.

The announcement was made in May by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a video on social media platform X. He appeared alongside Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, and Dr. Marty Makary, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.

“Last year, the Biden administration urged healthy children to get yet another Covid shot, despite the lack of any clinical data to support the repeat booster strategy in children,” Kennedy stated, offering no accompanying scientific evidence.

COVID-19 vaccine vials | Source: Pexels

Conspicuously absent from the announcement was a representative from the CDC, which currently lacks an acting director. Adding to the agency’s instability, Kennedy recently dismissed all 17 members of its Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices—an unprecedented move that bypasses the traditional process of committee review and vote before updating vaccine recommendations.

These changes could directly impact whether insurers are required to cover the cost of Covid vaccines. Private insurance companies and Medicaid typically base vaccine coverage decisions on CDC guidance. Without such recommendations, coverage may be denied. Uninsured individuals, who were previously covered under the national emergency provisions, now face full vaccine costs.

Person holding a syringe | Source: Pexels

Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines are priced up to $150, according to CDC data. Medical professionals expressed concern. “This decision could make it significantly harder for millions of Americans to access vaccines they want for themselves and their families,” said Tina Tan, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.