What the hepatitis B vaccine costs if you have no insurance

What the vaccine is and who gets it

Hepatitis B is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus. MedlinePlus is a health site from the National Library of Medicine. It says the virus spreads through contact with the blood or other body fluids of a person who has it. Many people have no symptoms at first, and some go on to develop a long-term infection.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, recommends the vaccine for all infants and for all adults from 19 through 59. It also recommends it for adults 60 and older who have risk factors for hepatitis B. The CDC calls the vaccine safe and effective, and says soreness where the shot went in is the most common side effect.

The CDC says the vaccine comes as a series of two or three shots, depending on the brand. The three-shot series is given over about six months. The two-shot version is given about one month apart. You need every shot to be fully protected, so the price that matters is the price of the whole series.

What health departments charge

We could not find a national cash price for this vaccine. Local health departments often post their own fees, though, so in October 2026 we read the fee pages of five of them. Each amount below is the fee that the department lists on its own page.

• The Dallas County health department in Texas lists $75 per shot for the three-dose adult vaccine. It lists $150 for the two-dose kind, which one of its clinics offers.
• The Imperial County health department in California lists $82 for the three-dose adult vaccine and $159 for the two-dose kind.
• Denver Public Health in Colorado lists $90 per dose for the three-dose vaccine and $190 per dose for the two-dose kind.
• The Southwest Utah health department lists $100 per dose for the three-dose vaccine and $149 for the two-dose kind.
• A county health department in Florida lists $65.54 for the three-dose vaccine and $123.44 for the two-dose kind on its 2025 fee sheet. The sheet does not say per dose, but its other prices match the cost of one shot.

These fees run from about $66 to $100 a dose for the three-dose vaccine. A full series of three shots therefore comes to about $197 to $300. The fees run from $123 to $190 a dose for the two-dose vaccine, so two shots come to about $247 to $380. Five health departments are not a national average, and yours may charge more or less. An Indiana county health department lists a wider range of $32 to $152 for its hepatitis B vaccines. Its list was last updated in May 2025.

Why a doctor's office may charge more

The CDC publishes two kinds of vaccine prices. The contract price is what state and big-city immunization programs pay, and it is lower. For adult hepatitis B vaccines it runs about $32 to $38 a dose for the three-dose kinds and about $83 for the two-dose kind. The CDC says private doctors and private citizens cannot buy vaccine at those contract prices.

The private-sector price is what manufacturers report charging private clinics. In the CDC's October 2026 adult list, that price is about $75 to $79 a dose for the three-dose vaccines. It is about $166 for the two-dose vaccine. A private office then adds its own fee for giving the shot. That is one reason a public clinic can cost much less than a private one.

Free and low-cost ways to get vaccinated

Some public programs lower the price a lot. The Texas Department of State Health Services runs a program called Adult Safety Net. It lets uninsured adults 19 and older get vaccines such as hepatitis B for up to about $25 each. The state says you can still get the vaccine if you cannot pay. The Dallas County health department says eligible clients pay $15 a shot through this program.

The City of Long Beach in California runs a hepatitis B program for adults 18 and older. It offers screening and vaccination free of charge, with no insurance required. Other cities and counties may run similar programs, so call your own health department to find out.

The CDC also tells adults without health insurance to ask federally funded health centers about vaccines. Many of these centers charge on a sliding scale, which means the fee depends on your income. Our guide on community health centers shows how to find one. If you do have coverage, the CDC says most private plans cover this vaccine. Medicare Part B pays for it for people at increased risk. For other shots, see our guide on adult vaccine costs. Another vaccine that comes as a series is covered in our guide on the HPV vaccine.

What to ask before you book

• Which hepatitis B vaccine do you give, and is it a two-shot or a three-shot series?
• What is the total price for the whole series, and does it include the fee for giving each shot?
• Do you offer a lower price for people without insurance or with a low income?
• Will you give me a printed record of each shot, in case a school or employer asks for proof?

The CDC says that if you miss a dose, it is okay. You should get the next dose as soon as possible, and you do not have to start over. Our guide on asking for the cash price has a script for the phone call. Our health center finder can point you to clinics near you.

Do you need a blood test first?

A blood test can show whether you have antibodies, which are the proteins your body makes to fight the virus. For comparison, Medicare pays about $10.74 for the hepatitis B surface antibody blood test in 2026. That amount is Medicare's rate and not a cash price. A health department in Florida listed a hepatitis B antibody test, which it called a titer, at $24 on its 2025 fee sheet. Ask your own clinic for its price, and talk to your doctor about what the result means for you.

A cash-pay doctor with a monthly membership can keep your vaccine record, order the blood test and give your shots. Direct primary care usually costs $50 to $200 a month, and you can search for a cash-pay doctor near you.

When to get care right away

The symptoms of hepatitis B that MedlinePlus lists include dark yellow urine, fever, tiredness, belly pain and nausea. Another is yellow skin or eyes, which is called jaundice. See a doctor soon if you have them. In an emergency, such as trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. This page gives general information and is not medical advice.