Pasadena Immunization Clinic Offers Free and Low-Cost Vaccines as Measles Cases Surge

The United States is in the grip of its worst measles resurgence in more than 30 years, with nearly 2,000 cases confirmed so far in 2026 alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Pasadena, the city’s own health department runs a walk-in immunization clinic that provides free and low-cost vaccinations to residents who might otherwise go without. 

The Pasadena Public Health Department clinic, at 1845 North Fair Oaks Avenue operates Mondays and Wednesdays and offers free and low-cost vaccines to eligible children and adults through two federally funded programs: Vaccines for Children and Vaccines for Adults. Pasadena, which has maintained its own independent public health department since 1892 — one of only three such jurisdictions in Los Angeles County — administers the programs directly.

Children from birth through age 18 who are uninsured, underinsured, enrolled in Medi-Cal or who are American Indian or Alaska Native qualify for free vaccines under the VFC program, according to the city’s public health department website. Adults 19 and older who are uninsured or underinsured are eligible through the VFA program, according to the department. Both programs are funded through federal and state dollars administered by the California Department of Public Health. 

The clinic also provides free seasonal flu vaccines during the fall season, according to the department. Routine and travel immunizations, titer tests and tuberculosis screening and testing are available at additional cost. The clinic also offers immunization record replacement, according to the city website. A $26 clinic fee is charged in addition to the cost of vaccinations and certifications, according to the department; the fee covers documentation review by licensed staff. 

The department does not accept or bill health insurance, according to its website. Residents with insurance coverage are directed to their health care provider or a local pharmacy for vaccinations, according to the department. 

Walk-ins are accepted during clinic hours: 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., Mondays and Wednesdays. Appointments can also be booked online or by calling (626) 744-6121. TB skin tests are placed on Mondays only and read on Wednesdays only, according to the department. Face coverings are recommended for all clinic visitors over age 2, according to the department. 

The clinic is on the second floor of the public health building, in Room 2130.

In February, the department issued an advisory urging Pasadena residents to ensure their measles vaccinations were up to date, noting that while no cases had been confirmed among Pasadena residents, infections had been reported in neighboring Los Angeles County and Orange County. 

“With increasing measles activity across the nation and region, I urge Pasadena residents to take steps now to protect their health and the health of their loved ones,” Manuel Carmona, the city’s director of public health, said in the advisory, according to a city press release. 

The department’s vaccine recommendations align with those of the California Department of Public Health, the West Coast Health Alliance and leading medical organizations, according to the city website. Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine provide 97 percent protection against measles, according to the state health department. 

California reported approximately 50 measles cases in 2026, the highest total since 2019, according to UC San Francisco. Nationally, 94 percent of January 2026 measles cases occurred in people who were not vaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown, according to KQED, citing CDC data. 

The PPHD immunization clinic is one component of a department that employs 115 full-time staff members and operates on an annual budget of $21.1 million as of January 2025, according to the city. The city appointed Manuel Carmona as director in January 2025 and Dr. Parveen Kaur, an infectious disease specialist, as health officer in February 2026.

For information about available vaccines, eligibility or appointments, residents can call (626) 744-6121 or visit the city’s immunization services page at cityofpasadena.net/public-health/epidemiology-disease control-division/immunization. 

The clinic’s doors open again Monday morning at 8:30.