Getting A Flu Vaccine: Four Steps
Community care flu shots are available to eligible Veterans who:
- Are enrolled in the VA health care system AND
- Received care through VA from either a VA or community provider within the past 24 monthsNOTE: Second requirement is new for 2021-2022 flu season.
To check your eligibility, Veterans can:
Call 800-MyVA411 , select option 1 , then select option 3 , and then option 1 again .NOTE: The system will check your eligibility for the community urgent care benefit, which includes the flu vaccine.
Contact your local VA medical facility.
Veterans can get a flu shot without prior authorization. Flu vaccines provided include standard , high dose, and preservative-free.
NOTE: Family members and beneficiaries are not eligible. State, age and health-related restrictions may apply. Individuals who are not eligible and receive a flu vaccine may be liable for the cost of the vaccine.
What Is The Flu
Influenza is a respiratory illness, which means that it affects your airways. It is spread easily from person to person through coughing, sneezing and even talking. When you get the influenza virus, it sometimes takes one to four days before you start noticing symptoms. This means that you could spread the flu to those around you before you even know that you’re sick. Adults may be able to spread the flu for up to seven days after first becoming sick, and children may continue to spread the flu for even longer.
Military Hospital Or Clinic
- Active duty service members have priority
- If not available stateside at your military hospital or clinic, you can seek the flu vaccine at a participating network provider or TRICARE-authorized providerAn authorized provider is any individual, institution/organization, or supplier that is licensed by a state, accredited by national organization, or meets other standards of the medical community, and is certified to provide benefits under TRICARE. There are two types of TRICARE-authorized providers: Network and Non-Network. DS.
- If not available overseas at your military hospital or clinic, you can seek the flu vaccine by:
- If you’re an active duty service member, you need to follow your unit chain of command and service guidance for recording the vaccine in your service medical record
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Cdc Recommendations For The Flu Shot
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The CDC recommends that everyone age six months and older gets a flu vaccine. This includes pregnant, elderly, and immunocompromised people.
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Your flu shot doesnt just increase the odds that you stay well. Like the COVID-19 vaccine, being vaccinated against the flu reduces your risk of severe illness, hospitalization, or death.
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Getting vaccinated can also reduce the risk for those around you and in your community, especially for young children that cant yet be vaccinated, older people, and people with some chronic illnesses.
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There are several types of flu shots to fit your needs. Some provide more protection for people age 65 and older, and there are egg-free versions for people with allergies.
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You can even avoid a needle altogether by getting the vaccine as a nasal spray. Keep in mind that there are more restrictions and side effects with the nasal spray, and it may be harder to find.
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Children younger than fiveespecially those younger than twoare at high risk for complications from the flu.
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Parents and caregivers need a flu shot to help protect high-risk children and infants who are too young to receive the vaccine.
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Fever, coughing, body aches, headaches, chills, and fatigue are all common symptoms of the flu. Sneezing, sore throat, and a stuffy nose without fever are commonly associated with a cold.
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Getting the flu can cause you to miss work, school, and social plans for up to two weeks.
Why Is There A Need For Flu Vaccines Designed Specifically For People 65 Years And Older

People 65 years and older are at increased risk of developing serious complications from flu compared with young, healthy adults. This is partly because human immune defenses become weaker with increasing age. During most seasons, people 65 years and older account for the majority of flu hospitalizations and deaths. In the United States, between about 70 percent and 85 percent of seasonal flu-related deaths and between 50 percent and 70 percent of seasonal flu-related hospitalizations have occurred among people 65 years and older. The weakened immune system can also mean that older people dont respond as well to flu vaccination. Given the higher risk of severe flu illness and lower protective immune response after vaccination among older adults, substantial research and development have led to the production of new flu vaccines intended to provide better immunity in this age group.
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What Are The Prices For Vaccines At Walgreens
The amount you spend out of pocket for a vaccine depends on several factors. If you have insurance, you may have responsibility for part of the cost or you may not have to pay anything for certain vaccinations.
Where you live also can impact what you pay for a vaccine, even at the same retailer. For example, a Walgreens pharmacy in Alaska may charge a different cash price than a Walgreens pharmacy in California or a Duane Reade pharmacy in New Jersey.
Here is how out-of-pocket costs compare at Walgreens and Duane Reade pharmacies in four states:
Walgreens Pharmacy: Las Vegas, Nevada
Shingrix: $199
HPV: $297 per dose
Flu : $77
Flu : $43
Duane Reade Pharmacy: New York City
Shingrix: $199
Flu : $43
Where Can You Go Locally To Get Your Flu Shot
HomeMore NewsThe time is now to get a flu shotCVS Pharmacy
- Flu shots start at 3 years old, but MinuteClinic providers can administer at 18 months
- Walk-ins are welcome
- Flu shot may be free with medical insurance or Medicare Part B
- There is no copayment unless required by your plan
- The seasonal vaccine is $39.99
Walmart Pharmacy
- Flu shots start at 6 years old
- Flu shots may be covered by insurance. Medi-Cal covers those 18 and older
- The seasonal vaccine is $38
- Walk-ins are welcome, though appointments are recommended as there is a COVID-19 screening process
Walgreens Pharmacy
- Flu shots start at 5 years old
- Walk-ins are welcome
- Flu shot may be free with medical insurance
- The seasonal vaccine is $41
Rite Aid
- Flu shots start at 5 years old
- Walk-ins are welcome
- Flu shots may be covered by insurance
- The seasonal vaccine is $40
CVS Pharmacy, Butte House Road, Yuba City
- Scheduling capability coming soon
- Ages three years and older
- $39.99, high dose for seniors $69.99
CVS Pharmacy, Stabler Lane, Yuba City
- Scheduling capability coming soon
- Uninsured price not known yet
Raleys Pharmacy, Onstott Road, Yuba City
- Ages 9 and over
- Regular $35, high dose $60
Safesave Pharmacy, Colusa Avenue, Yuba City
- Billed to insurance
- $20 for regular flu shot, high dose shot also available
Bel Air Pharmacy, Stabler Lane, Yuba City
- Six years and older
- Seasonal $40.99 high dose for seniors $72.99
Walgreens, 1781 Colusa Highway
- Seven years and up
- $39.99 high dose seniors $72.99
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Importance Of Flu Shots For Seniors
Eating well, staying active and working with your doctor to control any medical problems you might have will help you enjoy a healthy life well into your older years. Still, aging takes a toll on your immune system, making it less capable of fighting infections like the flu. As you get older, you’re more likely to catch the flu. You’re also more likely to develop serious problems, like pneumonia, if you come down with the flu. Americans age 65 and older are more likely than any other age group to be hospitalized for the flu, and approximately 9 out of 10 flu deaths in the U.S. occur in this age group, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
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A couple in Indiana has alleged that a Walgreens pharmacy gave their children Covid-19 shots instead of the flu jabs that they had asked for.
Alexandra and Joshua Price, residents of Evansville, Indiana, said that they visited the pharmacy on 4 October to get flu shots for themselves and their two children, aged 4 and 5.
But after they returned home, the pharmacy allegedly called them to inform them that their children had been erroneously administered the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine instead of the flu shot.
When they called us and told us that they had made a mistake and had given us the wrong shot, I was just in shock, Alexandra Price told CNN. All I could say to them was, What does this mean for my kids?
The Pfizer vaccine is not yet authorised for children below 12. Lukas started feeling sick before we even got home from Walgreens, explained Ms Price.
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I’ve Heard There Are Different Flu Vaccines Available Which One Is Right For Me
There are several different flu vaccines, and your pharmacist or other healthcare provider can help find the right vaccine for you. The CDC recommends that everyone age 6 months and older receive the flu vaccine each year. The CDC does not recommend one flu vaccine over another the most important thing is that you get a flu vaccine every year.
All flu vaccines are quadrivalent , meaning they are designed to protect against four different flu viruses. The flu shots are injections that are administered into your upper arm. The flu shots do not contain a live virus and are either inactivated or recombinant .
There is also a nasal spray. The nasal spray contains live-attenuated influenza virus and is quadrivalent. The nasal spray flu vaccine may be an option for healthy people between the ages of 249, who aren’t pregnant or have a weakened immune system.
People who are 65 years and older have additional options. Older adults have the option of receiving either a high-dose or adjuvanted flu vaccine. These flu shots are specifically formulated for seniors and, in past studies, have demonstrated better protection against the flu in persons age 65 and older.
What Other Flu Vaccines Are Available For People 65 Years And Older
In addition to Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent, one other influenza vaccine is licensed specifically for people 65 years and older. The adjuvanted flu vaccine,FLUAD Quadrivalent, contains an adjuvant, an ingredient intended to help improve immune response.
One recombinant influenza vaccine, Flublok Quadrivalent , is available during the 20202021 influenza season. Flublok Quadrivalent was first licensed by the FDA in the United States for use in adults 18 years and older in 2017. An earlier trivalent version was licensed in 2013 but was later replaced by the quadrivalent version. A new CDC study showed that flu shots made using recombinant technology produced a better antibody response among health care personnel compared with both cell-based and traditional flu shots.
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Exclusive: Family Talks To 14 News About Claims Of Vaccine Mistake At Walgreens
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – An Evansville family and their attorney says they were accidentally given full adult doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine instead of flu shots.
Alexandra and Joshua Price says it happened October 4, at the Walgreens on St. Joseph Avenue.
Their family of four includes two adults and two children who are just five and four years old.
The Pfizer vaccine isnt approved for children that young. They are seeking approval for children ages five to 11, but the dosage would be one third that of the adult dose. Pfizer has not asked permission to vaccinate children age four or younger.
The familys attorney, Daniel Tuley, shared with us what he says are the vaccination cards given to the family by Walgreens.
They show children born in 2016 and 2017 were given a Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.
The family says they left the pharmacy thinking they had received their flu shots, but a Walgreens employee later called them and said they had made a mistake.
Walgreens called me to say there was a mix up, we did not receive the flu shot, said Alexandra. And Im like well what did we get? And he was like we got the Covid19 shot, And instantly I was like, well what does this mean for my kids…?
The attorney tells us the vaccine cards were then issued since the coronavirus vaccine had been given.
Tuley says the children have been taken to a pediatric cardiologist, and the family was told both are showing signs of heart issues.
On Monday, they sent us the following statement:
What Are The Different Types Of Flu Shots

The CDC recommends any licensed, age-appropriate flu vaccine without preference for one over the otherincluding injectable vaccines and nasal spray vaccines. However, the CDC recommends that adults 65 years and older get an injectable vaccine, and high-dose formulations are available for this age group.
Its important to note that there are two types of flu vaccinations: trivalent and quadrivalent. Trivalent vaccines protect against 2 strains of influenza A and 1 strain of influenza B, whereas quadrivalent vaccines protect against 2 strains of influenza A and 2 strains of influenza B. All of the flu vaccines in the 2021-2022 season are of the quadrivalent variety, and are safe for individuals over 6 months of age with a few exceptions.
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How To Get A Discount On Your Flu Shot
If you cant secure a free flu shot, make sure to compare prices at singlecare.com before choosing where to get your jab. You can find the least expensive location near youplus, youll see coupons to save on flu shots, flu medications, and other prescriptions you need to get you through cold and flu season.
If its your first time using your SingleCare card, you can use a coupon for an additional $5 off the price of the following brands.
Brand name |
You can use our free flu shot coupons for the whole family. SingleCare is accepted at thousands of pharmacies including CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, and more. Find a pharmacy near you that accepts SingleCare coupons here.
Why Should You Get Vaccinated At Walgreens
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Walgreens offers scheduled and walk-in flu vaccinations. Here are just a few of the many reasons to get vaccinated at Walgreens:
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Many convenient locationsWith over 9,000 locations in all 50 states, you can easily find a location near you.
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Earn rewards on in-store purchasesWith MyWalgreens, you can earn $5 Walgreens Cash rewards on your next in-store purchase of $20+ for every vaccine you get at Walgreens.
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Get your flu shot and help a child in needWith Get a Shot. Give a Shot.®, we’re helping provide 100 million life-saving vaccines to children in need around the world by 2024. When you get your flu shot, you help provide a life-saving vaccine to a child in need.
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Book your vaccine appointment and an Uber in one appGetting to your vaccine appointment is even easier now that Walgreens is partnering with Uber. Find available COVID-19 appointments at Walgreens and book your Uber ride to the appointment through one seamless in-app experience.
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Take your whole family to be vaccinated at one placeWalgreens offers flu shots for anyone ages three and older in most states.
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Your flu shot will always be given by a licensed pharmacist, pharmacy intern or trained technician in all Walgreens pharmacies.
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Walgreens has protocols in place to protect you from COVID-19 Immunizers wear disposable surgical masks and face shields while administering vaccinations. Patients are required to wear face covers while receiving their shot.
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Are Flu Shots Free
Under the Affordable Care Act, the federal government requires insurance companies to cover flu vaccines with no deductible or copay. But check with your insurance provider first, because you may be required to get your shot at a specific location.
According to a report recently released by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, over 35 million Americans had health insurance in the fourth quarter of 2021, bringing the rate of those uninsured down to 8.8% for the full population. If youre uninsured, the resources below can help you find a free or low-cost jab.
Find A Flu Shot Location Near You
If you have a UnitedHealthcare health plan, you can get a flu shot at more than 50,000 locations.
Enter your ZIP code and select a pharmacy in your area, then select Find my flu shot to see results within a 20-mile radius from the center of your ZIP code.
Please note: If you’re using a screen reader, please select Participating pharmacies, then select a pharmacy to find a location near you.
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