Flu shot at ped office vs. pharmacy

[Anonymous]

My pediatrician offers flu shots to the whole family but adults have to pay cash, they only bill insurance for the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My pediatrician offers flu shots to the whole family but adults have to pay cash, they only bill insurance for the kids.

I thought flu shots were literally free for everyone regardless of insurance status?

Our pediatrician's office is overwhelmed by the volumes right now and aren't doing their regular flu clinics (or it's much reduced from previous years) so we're going to give CVS a go. 4 and 6 year olds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My pediatrician offers flu shots to the whole family but adults have to pay cash, they only bill insurance for the kids.

I thought flu shots were literally free for everyone regardless of insurance status?

Our pediatrician's office is overwhelmed by the volumes right now and aren't doing their regular flu clinics (or it's much reduced from previous years) so we're going to give CVS a go. 4 and 6 year olds.

This is how my pediatrician does it as well. Free for kids (well insurance pays) but $40 for adults. We just get ours at CVS and it is free/covered for everyone.

[Anonymous]

I made the mistake of going to a flu clinic that CVS was holding instead of our pediatrician. The shot hurt a lot more than usual and the only thing I can think of is that they used a different size need to administer it. My kids begged me to bring them to the pediatrician next year.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know if they use single shot vials or larger vials with preservatives?

[Anonymous]

Go to Target. You get $5 coupon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know if they use single shot vials or larger vials with preservatives?

Honestly asking, no snark. Is this because you are allergic, or are there bad side effects with the preservatives?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CVS told me they wouldn't do kids under 8.

The advantageous to going to the ped is they will help the child sit still and feel comfortable, and they usually do the leg shot. At a pharmacy, they won't be used to handling children, so you it will be on you to calm your child, and they are going to do it in the arm most likely.

But if you have and older elementary kid, go for it, definitely quicker.

This is not true at all CVS's- you need to find one that does 2 and up. I don't think they do under 2

We did it at CVS and it was advantageous since I could get mine too and I got it first so the kids could see me getting it etc.

+1 I don't know of any minute clinics in DC proper that will give flu shots to little kids. But, just over the DC border in MD, CVS will do it.

This is an important distinction; a Minute Clinic nurse might be able to do it, but not the pharmacist. MD prohibits pharmacists from vaccinating children under 9.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My pediatrician offers flu shots to the whole family but adults have to pay cash, they only bill insurance for the kids.

I thought flu shots were literally free for everyone regardless of insurance status?

Our pediatrician's office is overwhelmed by the volumes right now and aren't doing their regular flu clinics (or it's much reduced from previous years) so we're going to give CVS a go. 4 and 6 year olds.

This is how my pediatrician does it as well. Free for kids (well insurance pays) but $40 for adults. We just get ours at CVS and it is free/covered for everyone.

I recall getting the flu shot at my OBGyn one time and the shot itself was free but there was a charge for the nurse's time. I wonder if it was something like that. Our pediatrician does it free for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I made the mistake of going to a flu clinic that CVS was holding instead of our pediatrician. The shot hurt a lot more than usual and the only thing I can think of is that they used a different size need to administer it. My kids begged me to bring them to the pediatrician next year.

Oh no. It's impossible to get a flu shot at our pediatrician - I've been trying for weeks - and we were planning on just hitting up CVS. My kids are already scared of shots and this makes me nervous. Any ideas for other places? Should it be OK if we go the minute clinic route?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know if they use single shot vials or larger vials with preservatives?

You have to ask. I know my Ped office uses the multi dose vials with preservative. Local urgent care clinic, CVS, Walgreens all had the preservative free single dose vial. I prefer the preservative free one so I got my and the kids’ shots in CVS. It isn’t that I think the preservative is unsafe, but if I can get one without, seems better.

[Anonymous]

Pediatrician will have pediatric needles. Pharmacies usually don’t. Pediatric needles are smaller and generally hurt less.

-mom of a 16 year old who can tell the difference.

[Anonymous]

Our pediatrician doesn’t offer in-office flu shots, but does offer a flu clinic. Walgreens near us said they only do 4 and up, so last year I took my kids to the clinic. This year I did Walgreens for my 4 and 9 year old. The 4 year old didn’t even flinch and the 9 year old seemed to bleed a little more than usual but similarly didn’t seem too bothered. Both said their shoulders were a little sore the next day, but that’s common. It was really nice taking them at 7:30 at night rather than during my work day.

[Anonymous]

I would go to the peds. I had an appointment to get my covered d booster at the cvs in Kensington and it was a cluster. There were only two people working. One of the cash register and one filling prescriptions, doing the drive-through testing in the drive-through pharmacy, and supposedly given Covid vaccines. I could not even get the pharmacist to acknowledge me. Even though I had an appointment. All she would do is bark just wait at me. Finally after 20 minutes I left. I asked her if I could wait outside so that it would be safer for my Covid perspective but she wouldn’t even answer me

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does it matter? Our well-visit appt already happened in the summer. Thinking it would be more efficient for us to get mass vaccinated at the local CVS

Pediatrician


https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/13/us/parents-say-walgreens-mistake-covid-vaccine/index.html