With the flu season on track to be the worst since 2009, health officials are urging everyone who hasn't yet gotten sick to get vaccinated. But getting a shot can be tricky—some pharmacies have run out of the vaccine. And, for those whose insurance won't cover the vaccine, the out-of-pocket cost can vary widely.
WNYC called 32 pharmacies across the city. Most independent drugstores said they charge $20 to $30 for a shot, while big chains like Duane Reade and CVS charge $40. High-dosage vaccines for seniors can cost up to can cost about $60.
"Some of the vaccines will differ in cost depending on the manufacturer and the type of vaccine, but also obviously on the profit margin that the supplier is expecting," Columbia University epidemiologist Stephen Morse said.
The city health department offers the vaccine through its clinics on a sliding scale, based on one's income. Call 311 for details.
Here are the results of WNYC's survey of retail locations:
| LOCATION | BOROUGH | COST w/o insurance (for regular dose) |
| CVS, 250 Page Ave | Staten Island | $40 |
| Super Health Pharmacy, 6400 Amboy Road | Staten Island | $30 |
| Best RX Pharmacy, 325 New Dorp Lane | Staten Island | $20 |
| Living Well Pharmacy, 3555 Victory Boulevard | Staten Island | $25 |
| Walgreens, 955 Manor Rd | Staten Island | $40 |
| Rite Aid, 385 Bay St | Staten Island | $35 |
| Duane Reade, 24946 Horace Harding Expy, Douglaston | Queens | $40, $21 with discount card |
| Walgreens, 83-45 Langdale St | Queens | $40 |
| CPW Pharmacy, 121-16 Liberty Ave | Queens | $30 |
| Stop and Shop Pharmacy, 156-01 Crossbay Boulevard | Queens | $20-$25 |
| Rite Aid, 10640 Rockaway Beach Boulevard | Queens | $40 |
| CVS, 41-08 Queens Boulevard | Queens | $40 |
| Harpell Ditmars Pharmacy, 33-08 Ditmars Boulevard | Queens | $38 |
| C.O. Bigelow Chemists, 414 Sixth Ave | Manhattan | $25 |
| Duane Reade, 194 E. 2nd St | Manhattan | $40 |
| Duane Reade, 1 Whitehall St | Manhattan | $40 |
| Embassy Drugs, 1873 Amsterdam Ave | Manhattan | $29 |
| Hamilton Pharmacy, 3293 Broadway | Manhattan | $30 |
| Uptown Care Pharmacy, 2254 2nd Ave | Manhattan | $30 |
| Inwood Pharmacy, 4915 Broadway | Manhattan | $30 |
| Friendly Pharmacy, 389 138th St | Bronx | $25 |
| Tri-Road Pharmacy, 791 Westchester Ave | Bronx | $27 |
| Burke Avenue Pharmacy, 759 Burke Ave | Bronx | High dose only, $65 |
| Park Plaza Pharmacy, 1773 University Ave | Bronx | $35 |
| Throggs Neck Pharmacy, 3569 East Tremont Ave | Bronx | $37 |
| Lincoln Care Drugs, 270 East 165th St | Bronx | $30 |
| Accurate Pharmacy, 639 5th Ave | Brooklyn | $20 |
| Bright Pharmacy and Med Supply, 227 Brighton Beach Ave | Brooklyn | $28 |
| Five Star Pharmacy, 1200 Fulton St | Brooklyn | $35 |
| Knickerbocker Chemists, 360 Knickerbocker Ave | Brooklyn | $25 |
| S. Brothers Pharmacy, 176 Lee Ave | Brooklyn | $30 |
In addition, one pharmacy would not give out their price.
Once you figure out where to go, be sure they still have the vaccine in stock. You may want to check out the health department's NYC Health Map or vaccinefinder.org, which list local pharmacies that are stocked up.
"We actually ran out of our allotment," said Bruce Schreiber, supervising pharmacist at C.O. Bigelow in the West Village, where the vaccine costs $25 a shot. "I tried to predict what we would need for this season, and we blew right through it."
Typically at this time of year, the number of flu cases tend to start dropping off. However, reports of flu cases are still coming in and are still on the rise: according to the New York State Department of Health, nearly 8,000 flu cases were reported between Jan. 14—20, a 28 percent increase from the week before.
Officials say that's due to a number of factors, including a harsher strain of flu and a vaccine that is less effective than usual.