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Medicare Vaccines and Infection Prevention: Coverage and Cost Sharing

Adapted from Your Medicare Benefits, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The selected guidance concerns Medicare coverage and payment, not a recommendation for medical treatment. Numbered page references below refer to the linked source publication.

Coverage can depend on medical necessity, the setting, provider participation, and your plan’s rules. Use the cited publication for the full conditions and check the plan year when comparing costs or enrollment choices.

COVID-19 vaccines

COVID-19 vaccines help lower your chances of becoming sick from COVID-19 by working with the body’s natural defenses to safely develop immunity (protection) against the virus. Part B covers FDA-approved and FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines.

Costs You pay nothing if your doctor or other health care provider accepts assignment for giving you the vaccine.

Things to know You don’t need a prescription to get the vaccine at your pharmacy.

More information

  • Go to:
  • “COVID-19 antibody tests” on page 29.
  • “COVID-19 diagnostic laboratory tests” on page 29.
  • “COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatments & products” on page 30.
  • Visit Medicare.gov/coverage/covid-19-vaccine.
  • For more on COVID-19, visit CDC.gov/covid.

Flu vaccine

Flu vaccines can keep you from getting sick with seasonal influenza (flu) viruses during the fall and winter. Part B covers the seasonal flu vaccine.

How often Usually one vaccine each flu season.

Costs You pay nothing if your doctor or other health care provider accepts assignment for giving the vaccine.

More information Visit Medicare.gov/coverage/flu-shots.

Hepatitis B vaccines

Hepatitis B vaccines help protect against the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Part B covers these vaccines if you meet at least one of these conditions:

  • You’ve never gotten a complete series of hepatitis B vaccines.
  • You don’t know your vaccination history.
  • You have a health condition or situation that puts you at medium or high risk for hepatitis B (like diabetes, End-Stage Renal Disease or ESRD, or living with someone who has hepatitis B).

Costs You pay nothing if your health care provider accepts assignment for giving the vaccine.

More information Visit Medicare.gov/coverage/hepatitis-b-shots.

Pneumococcal vaccines

Part B covers pneumococcal vaccines to help protect against different strains of the bacteria that cause pneumonia. Talk with your doctor or other health care provider about which vaccines are right for you.

Costs You pay nothing if your health care provider accepts assignment for giving the vaccine.

More information Visit Medicare.gov/coverage/pneumococcal-shots.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine

RSV vaccines can protect you from getting RSV, a respiratory virus that causes cold-like symptoms. Adults 75 and older, and adults between 50–74 with certain conditions are at high risk of having serious health complications from RSV. Medicare drug coverage (Part D) covers the RSV vaccine.

Costs

  • You pay nothing for the RSV vaccine if you have Part D.
  • Part D covers all adult vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that aren’t covered under Part B, including vaccines for RSV, shingles, whooping cough, measles, and more. Your Part D plan won’t charge you a copayment or deductible for vaccines ACIP recommends.

Things to know

  • Certain medical conditions and factors increase the risk for severe RSV. Talk to your doctor or other health care provider to find out if you may be at increased risk.
  • You can get the RSV vaccine in many places, including your doctor’s office and your local pharmacy. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, contact your plan to find out where you can go to get the RSV vaccine. Only Medicare Advantage Plans that include drug coverage will cover prescription drug benefits, like the RSV vaccine.

More information

  • Contact your Part D plan.
  • Visit Medicare.gov/coverage/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-shot.

Shingles vaccines

The shingles vaccine can protect you against the varicella-zoster virus that causes a painful rash and sometimes serious complications, like long-term pain. Medicare drug coverage (Part D) covers the shingles vaccine.

Costs

  • You pay nothing for the shingles vaccine if you have Part D.
  • Part D covers all adult vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that aren’t covered under Part B, including the vaccines for shingles, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), whooping cough, measles, and more. Your Part D plan won’t charge you a copayment or apply a deductible for vaccines ACIP recommends.

More information

  • Contact your Part D plan.
  • Visit Medicare.gov/coverage/shingles-shots.

Tdap vaccine

Tdap is the booster vaccine that protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (also called whooping cough). Medicare drug coverage (Part D) covers the Tdap vaccine.

Costs

  • You pay nothing for the Tdap vaccine if you have Part D.
  • Part D covers all adult vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that aren’t covered under Part B, including the vaccines for Tdap, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), shingles, measles, and more. Your Part D plan won’t charge you a copayment or apply a deductible for vaccines ACIP recommends.

More information

  • Contact your Part D plan.
  • Visit Medicare.gov/coverage/tdap-shots.

Vaccines

Vaccines work with your body’s natural defenses to safely develop immunity (protection) against harmful germs (like viruses and bacteria). You usually get vaccines as a shot injected into your arm by a doctor or other health care provider. Part B covers preventive vaccines for:

  • COVID-19: Go to pages 30–31.
  • Flu: Go to page 47.
  • Hepatitis B: Go to page 51.
  • Pneumococcal: Go to page 88.

Part B also covers some non-preventive vaccines (like tetanus) when they’re related directly to treating an injury or illness.

Medicare drug coverage (Part D) covers all adult vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that aren’t covered under Part B, including vaccines for:

  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV): Go to pages 100–101.
  • Shingles: Go to page 103.
  • Tdap: Go to page 107.
  • Traveling (like yellow fever and chikungunya), measles, and more.

Your Part D plan won’t charge you a copayment or apply a deductible for vaccines ACIP recommends. Contact your Part D plan for details, and talk to your provider about which vaccines are right for you.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention

PrEP uses antiretroviral medication to lower your risk of getting HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). If you don’t have HIV, but your doctor or other health care provider determines you’re at an increased risk for HIV, Part B covers PrEP medication and related services.

If you qualify, covered services include:

  • FDA-approved oral or injectable PrEP medication. If you’re getting an injectable drug, Part B also covers the fee for injecting the drug.
  • Up to 8 individual counseling sessions (including HIV risk assessment, HIV risk reduction, and medication adherence) every 12 months.
  • Up to 8 HIV screenings every 12 months.
  • A one-time hepatitis B virus (HBV) screening (you may be able to get more screenings if you’re at high risk for HBV or you’re pregnant).

Costs If you get PrEP medications from a pharmacy that’s enrolled in Part B, you’ll pay nothing out of pocket for your medications. Ask your health care provider to include a diagnosis code on your prescription to help the pharmacy. If you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan, you’ll usually pay nothing out of pocket for PrEP at any pharmacy in your plan’s network. Contact your plan for more specific cost information.

If your provider accepts assignment, you’ll also pay nothing out of pocket for injectable PrEP drugs, HIV and HBV screenings, and counseling sessions (because they’re preventive services).

Note: Contact your pharmacy to make sure they can bill Medicare Part B. If you don’t, you might have to pay the full cost of PrEP yourself. Most pharmacies (including national chains) can bill Part B, but some smaller pharmacies can’t. If your regular pharmacy can’t bill Part B, we can help you find a pharmacy where you can get your PrEP. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.

More information

  • Go to “Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screenings” on page 57.
  • Visit Medicare.gov/coverage/pre-exposure-prophylaxis-prep-for-hiv-prevention.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screenings

HIV screenings check to find out if you’ve been infected with HIV. Part B covers an HIV screening if you meet one of these conditions:

  • You’re between 15–65.
  • You’re younger than 15 or older than 65 and at an increased risk for HIV.

How often Once a year, if you meet one of the conditions above. If you’re pregnant, you can get the screening up to 3 times during your pregnancy.

Costs You pay nothing if your doctor or other health care provider accepts assignment.

More information

  • Go to “Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention” on pages 88–89.
  • Visit Medicare.gov/coverage/hiv-human-immunodeficiency-virus-screenings.

Source and further reading

Your Medicare Benefits — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Public domain U.S. government educational material, accessed October 28, 2026. Fynoptic has selected sections, removed print navigation, and reformatted the text for this guide. The agency does not endorse Fynoptic.

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