Cost of vaccines in 2016

gaiscioch

Hi, I'm just back from getting the second of the two chickenpox vaccines for my baby. I was charged €97 for the first one, a month ago, and €86 for the second one, today. I recall being told a month ago that the €97 covered both prescriptions, so was surprised when the lady in the pharmacy told me it only covered the "dispensing charge" of both visits, and therefore I was charged a further €86 today. On top of that, the gp charged €30 for each of the two visits, but I've little problem with that aspect of the overall cost. Between the jigs and the reels it cost €244 to get the full chicken pox vaccination.

I just think the cost of the vaccine itself is really extortionate and somebody said to check that I wasn't overcharged.

Although it's from back in April 2014, this Irish Times article says "If your child doesn’t fall into those categories and you want them to get the vaccine, it’ll cost you about €60-€70."

What sort of prices are the rest of you paying for the chickenpox vaccine?

annoyedgal

Can't comment on the chicken pox but the men b vaccine is costing me 160 a shot including gp fee. So 480 in total! Agree that private vaccines are v dear.

bovril

The chicken pox vaccine cost me 80e each including administration earlier this year. Men b is 160e each including administration at the moment. Both are ordered through my GP surgery.

Shoe Lover

Chickenpox cost me 75euro each in April & May of this year. My doctor didn't charge me an administration fee - think this was an oversight on her behalf. For the Men B, my GP is actually ordering the vaccine for us as GSK will not supply pharmacists at the moment due to supply issue. The cost of that is 140e per shot including the nurses fee. Private vaccines are dear but in my opinion, worth it.

gaiscioch

bovril wrote: »

The chicken pox vaccine cost me 80e each including administration earlier this year. Men b is 160e each including administration at the moment. Both are ordered through my GP surgery.

If by "including administration" you mean the doctor's fee, my €244 fee is a huge 53% dearer than your €160 cost for the same two vaccines.

I had to get them in the pharmacy and bring them over to the doctor as the surgery would not order it.

Shoe Lover wrote: »

Chickenpox cost me 75euro each in April & May of this year. My doctor didn't charge me an administration fee - think this was an oversight on her behalf.

It gets worse for me: 63% dearer than your €150 total cost.

The pattern seems to be - although I'm open to correction - that it is much cheaper to get both through your gp than from the pharmacy directly as I had to. It's still a shockingly high disparity in cost.

And the Meningitis cost is even worse. Having read this poignant story in The Irish Times last December, I couldn't but get it. Still waiting on the second vaccine to come into the pharmacy. They haven't had it for months now.

Shoe Lover

I think it depends on the pharmacy. For the chickenpox vaccine, my GP told me to ring around as the price would vary & it really did. I had one chemist quote me 110euro per vaccine. But you are right, there is a huge disparity in cost!

I'd ask your pharmacy to check again on the Men B vaccine. My pharmacist told me that GSK, the suppliers, are refusing to stock any pharmacists at the moment because of the high demand. They will only supply directly to the GPs or hospitals & it took me at least two months of trying to order it to get that much from them.

January

It depends on what your pharmacy charges and what your GP charges. There are no set costs for either the varicella vaccination or the men b vaccination, so it will differ from area to area.

LegacyUser

I also heard this week that Men B has to be ordered through the GP for now, pharmacies are not stocking it.I'd check that again OP

bovril

gaiscioch wrote:

If by "including administration" you mean the doctor's fee, my €244 fee is a huge 53% dearer than your €160 cost for the same two vaccines.

Yes including administration is the cost of giving the vaccine. The nurse gives vaccines in our GP surgery.

I need to get the men b booster for my toddler this month and I got the other shots through the pharmacy last year. I too was told only the GP can get the men b vaccine now. In my surgery the price of getting it through them and through pharmacy and adding admin cost is the same.