How to get a free or low-cost tetanus shot: Section 317, FQHCs, and county health departments

The four pathways

Section 317, in plain English

Section 317 of the Public Health Service Act funds vaccine purchase for uninsured and underinsured adults.^[1] Funds flow from CDC to state health departments, which run the programme through their county and local health departments and through participating FQHCs. Eligibility usually does not include an income test; the criterion is insurance status. Some states require state residency. Most states publish a participating-provider locator on the state health department website.

Named state Section 317 / Vaccines for Adults programmes

• California: Cal VFA / Vaccines for Adults programme, administered through EZIZ.^[5] Provider locator on the EZIZ website.
• New Jersey: NJ Department of Health VFC and 317 Vaccine Locations programme.^[6]
• North Carolina: NC 317 Vaccines for Adults (VFA) Program through the Immunization Branch of NC DPH.^[7]
• Texas: DSHS adult immunization programme, accessed through DSHS regional health offices.
• Other states use comparable structures; search "[state name] adult vaccines 317 program" or "[state name] vaccines for adults" to locate the named programme.

Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs)

The HRSA Health Center Program operates around 1,400 federally qualified health centers across the United States.^[3] FQHCs serve uninsured and underinsured patients on a sliding-scale fee. Many participate in Section 317 and offer free or low-cost vaccines including Tdap and Td. The HRSA Find a Health Center tool is the canonical way to locate a participating clinic by ZIP code.

County and local health departments

County and city health departments receive Section 317 funds and typically run adult immunisation clinics. Pricing varies: some are free for routine adult boosters; others use a sliding-scale fee or a flat low fee under $40. Search "[county name] health department immunisations" or check the county website for the immunisation clinic schedule.

Vaccines for Children (VFC)

For under-19s, VFC covers ACIP-recommended vaccines including DTaP and Tdap free at participating providers.^[4] VFC eligibility includes:

• Uninsured
• Medicaid-enrolled
• American Indian or Alaska Native
• Underinsured (insurance does not cover the vaccine), and seen at a federally qualified health center or rural health center

How to find a participating provider

• HRSA Find a Health Center: findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov (locates FQHCs by ZIP code)
• State health department: search "[state name] adult vaccines 317 program" or "[state name] vaccines for adults"
• County or city health department: search "[county name] health department immunisations"
• VFC provider lookup: each state runs its own VFC enrolment and provider directory; CDC maintains the national programme link

Discount-card alternative if you do not qualify for free programmes

• GoodRx Boostrix coupon: starts at $60.86^[8], often beats the cash price at most pharmacies.
• SingleCare Boostrix: ~$60.99 at participating pharmacies.^[9]
• GoodRx Tdvax: $31.38 (Tdvax is Td, not Tdap; verify the clinical recommendation before substituting).
• WellRx and FamilyWize: Tdap coupons available; pricing similar to GoodRx and SingleCare.

Note: vaccine coupons cover the medicine but not the administration fee. The administration fee at a pharmacy walk-in typically runs $7 to $20.

Manufacturer assistance programmes

• GSK: patient assistance for Boostrix in qualifying low-income cases through GSK for You.^[10]
• Sanofi: patient assistance for Adacel and Tenivac in qualifying cases through Sanofi Patient Connection.^[11]

What this page is not

This page is not a clinic finder, not a "click here for a free shot" funnel, and not an insurance-network lead-gen page. The page routes to canonical primary-source resources (HRSA Find a Health Center, the named state programmes, CDC documentation) so the patient can find the actual local provider and verify current eligibility before going.

Adjacent reading

• Pharmacy comparison (cash and coupon prices)
• Insurance overview
• Medicaid coverage detail
• By-state programme directory