If your child has allergies, you’re probably all too familiar with the discomforts they experience. Runny noses, itchy eyes, scratchy throats, constant sneezing—all common symptoms that can make your child miserable. While traditional treatments, such as antihistamines and corticosteroids, can help, they only offer short-term relief. That’s where allergy shots steal the spotlight.
Allergy immunotherapy can be a highly effective solution that offers long-term relief from allergies. But how much do allergy shots cost? Let’s find out.
What Are Allergy Shots?
Allergy shots are a type of allergy immunotherapy, a treatment that desensitizes the body to a particular allergen. To understand how they work, we need to understand the basics of an allergy. Simply put, an allergy is the immune system’s response to a foreign substance it deems harmful.
This substance, called an allergen, might be perfectly harmless. However, if your kiddo’s immune system flags it as harmful, their body will react accordingly. When they’re exposed to the allergen, their body’s antibodies, blood proteins that counteract a specific antigen, will jump into action.
Those antibodies communicate with cells, triggering a chemical release that causes the symptoms you recognize as an allergic reaction. In mild allergies, the symptoms might be as minor as a runny nose or scratchy throat. In severe cases, the reaction may trigger anaphylaxis, a serious and potentially life-threatening condition.
So, to address these symptoms, allergy shots focus on the allergy itself. The shots contain tiny doses of the allergen, which exposes your kiddo’s body to it. This gives your child’s immune system the opportunity to build an allergen-specific tolerance.
The treatment achieves that tolerance by helping reduce the production of the “blocking” antibody that creates the symptoms. Over time and with consistent doses, your child may be able to be exposed to the allergen without a significant reaction. Of course, every child is different, so the results may vary.
For most people, the first results start to appear within the first year, but the best results usually take two to three years to show up. While the treatment requires a long-term commitment, it can be highly effective in addressing your child’s allergies.
How Much Do Allergy Shots Cost?
The cost of allergy shots is highly dependent on factors specific to your child’s treatment program, including how many doses your child will need and your insurance coverage. Most parents pay between $1,000 and $4,000 per year for their child’s allergy shots. The cost is steep, especially if you have more than one child with allergies.
Budgeting for Allergy Shots: Tips to Manage Costs
While allergy shots can be pricey, there are ways to manage the cost, including:
Use Your Health Insurance
For many parents, paying thousands of dollars per year per child for immunotherapy isn’t feasible. Thankfully, health insurance coverage can help.
Many health insurance providers offer coverage for allergy immunotherapy, as it’s often deemed a medically necessary treatment. Of course, coverage can vary based on the policy and provider, so if you’re unsure, check with your health insurance provider.
Of course, even if your health insurance provider covers the treatment, you’ll still probably need to pay some out-of-pocket costs. That said, you may pay as little as your deductible plus your copay. This can make the out-of-pocket costs much more doable, allowing you to get your little one the treatment they need to find relief from persistent allergies.
Choose a Budget-Friendly Alternative
If you don’t have health insurance or allergy shots don’t work for your kiddo’s needs, a budget-friendly alternative might be the better option. There are a few immunotherapy companies out there that offer more cost-effective or tiered pricing plans that are flexible enough to accommodate tighter budgets.
Or, if you want to skip the injections and go with allergy drops (a popular option for kids), you might enjoy better savings. Some providers offer incredibly affordable pricing plans for allergy drops, making it far easier to budget for your kiddo’s allergy treatment. The best part? Your child won’t have to deal with frequent doctor’s or allergist’s visits and injections.
Wrapping Up
Allergy shots, or allergy immunotherapy in general, can be an excellent solution to your child’s allergies. It can make a significant difference in the long run, helping your child enjoy lasting relief from irritating allergies. While the several-thousand-dollar price tag can be a barrier to entry, health insurance coverage and budget-friendly alternatives can make the treatment more accessible for families with tighter budgets.
Of course, before you begin any allergy immunotherapy treatment for your kiddo, remember to talk to their primary care physician. Your child’s doctor can help determine the best option for your child based on their medical history and needs. They might even be able to offer a few suggestions for affordable treatment options!
