Getting vaccinated in Korea
Shingles, HPV, pneumococcal and hepatitis vaccines at Korean hospitals, several of them markedly cheaper than in the United States.
5 min read
Adult vaccines are one of the quieter reasons people add a clinic visit to a Korea trip. Several cost a fraction of what they do in the United States, they need no referral, and a visit takes minutes.
What Korean hospitals charge
| Procedure | Median | Range | Hospitals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shingles vaccine (Shingrix)per dose | ₩250,000 $180 | ₩170,000 – ₩450,000 | 1096 |
| Shingles vaccine (SKYZoster)per dose | ₩150,000 $110 | ₩8,314 – ₩231,000 | 988 |
| HPV vaccine (Gardasil 9)per dose | ₩219,237 $160 | ₩158,000 – ₩300,000 | 858 |
| Pneumococcal vaccine (Prevnar 13)per dose | ₩130,000 $94 | ₩3,379 – ₩200,000 | 1490 |
| Tdap vaccine (Boostrix)per dose | ₩50,000 $36 | ₩15,070 – ₩70,000 | 593 |
| Hepatitis A vaccine (Vaqta 1.0mL)per dose | ₩70,000 $50 | ₩2,477 – ₩110,000 | 525 |
| MMR vaccine (M-M-R II)per dose | ₩30,000 $22 | ₩13,611 – ₩70,000 | 603 |
Prices are per dose, which matters for the multi-dose courses. Shingrix is two doses two to six months apart; Gardasil 9 is two or three depending on age at first dose.
Why some of these are so much cheaper
Korea has a large domestic vaccine industry and several of these are made here — SKYZoster for shingles and the domestic hepatitis A and influenza products among them. Where a Korean-made equivalent competes with an imported one, both prices tend to sit lower than the imported product does elsewhere.
That is a supply-side story, not a quality one. All of these are products licensed by the Korean regulator.
Practical notes
- No referral needed. Vaccination is a walk-in service at most institutions, though calling ahead is sensible for the less common ones.
- Ask for a record in English at the time. Retrofitting documentation later is far harder — see the certificate guide.
- Coverage here is hospital-grade only. Most Koreans get vaccinated at neighbourhood clinics, which publish nothing, so the real market is wider than these figures show.
- Some reactions are normal — a sore arm, fatigue for a day. Not ideal on a travel day.
This is not vaccination advice
Which vaccines you need depends on your age, history, and where you are travelling, and that is a conversation with a doctor. This page tells you what they cost in Korea if you and a clinician have already decided you want them.
Every disclosing hospital is listed on the vaccinations category page.
Figures on this page are read from the published disclosure data at build time, so they match the price pages exactly. This is general information about published prices, not medical advice, and it does not recommend any hospital. Confirm any figure with the hospital before treatment.