Vaccinations: Td versus Tdap

[phub11 0]

Hi all,

I went to have my medical done the other day, and was given Repevax to complete my required vaccinations. Upon looking at the Vaccination Documentation Worksheet, the "Td" box was checked rather than "Tdap". Is this a mistake? Will I have problems when I transfer my status?

P.S: Another box on the worksheet states I have "Varicella History", and the RESULTS section is marked "Vaccination History Incomplete" - "Applicant may be eligible for blanket waiver(s)". Does this mean I have more paperwork to fill out later?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

[UAL1739 0]

Hi all,

I went to have my medical done the other day, and was given Repevax to complete my required vaccinations. Upon looking at the Vaccination Documentation Worksheet, the "Td" box was checked rather than "Tdap". Is this a mistake? Will I have problems when I transfer my status?

P.S: Another box on the worksheet states I have "Varicella History", and the RESULTS section is marked "Vaccination History Incomplete" - "Applicant may be eligible for blanket waiver(s)". Does this mean I have more paperwork to fill out later?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Hi...

No...Td or Tdap are the same.

[malego77 2]

When you'll file for AOS you must complete the vaccination requirements.

[phub11 0]

Thanks for the replies, but they are making me more confused than before....

1) If Td and Tdap are the same, why do they have different boxes? From Wikipedia, it looks like the "ap" stands for "acellular pertussis". Since Repevax contains the pertussis vaccination, shouldn't the "Tdap" box have been checked? I am a 32 year old male so require the Tdap shot.

2) Yes, I know that I need to fulfill all vaccination requirements... any advice on what I should do before this becomes a problems would be gratefully appreciated.

Thanks!

[CBR 0]

Hi all,

I went to have my medical done the other day, and was given Repevax to complete my required vaccinations. Upon looking at the Vaccination Documentation Worksheet, the "Td" box was checked rather than "Tdap". Is this a mistake? Will I have problems when I transfer my status?

P.S: Another box on the worksheet states I have "Varicella History", and the RESULTS section is marked "Vaccination History Incomplete" - "Applicant may be eligible for blanket waiver(s)". Does this mean I have more paperwork to fill out later?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Hi...

No...Td or Tdap are the same.

TD and Tdap are NOT the same. Tdap includes acellular pertussis vaccine whereas the Td does not.

Tdap was recently developed for adults as a booster to prevent outbreaks of Pertussis aka Whooping Cough. This previously was only given during our childhood vaccinations. The immunity wears off by the time we reach our late teens to early adulthood hence why they developed it as a booster finaly for adults. The Tdap is a one time booster for us adults, then you go back to Td boosters every 10 years. So yes, marking the Td box when you were given Repevax is a mistake. I'm not sure if they are REQUIRING the pertussis part or not. It's not a requirement in the US, just being offered to those who want it, but I'm not sure about immigration requirements.

I'm also not sure about your PS question. Did you state that you had chickenpox in the past? That would explain the statement that you have varicella history. The vaccination record incomplete may be referring to something else and without knowing your immunization history I'd have no idea what they mean.

[phub11 0]

Hi all,

I went to have my medical done the other day, and was given Repevax to complete my required vaccinations. Upon looking at the Vaccination Documentation Worksheet, the "Td" box was checked rather than "Tdap". Is this a mistake? Will I have problems when I transfer my status?

P.S: Another box on the worksheet states I have "Varicella History", and the RESULTS section is marked "Vaccination History Incomplete" - "Applicant may be eligible for blanket waiver(s)". Does this mean I have more paperwork to fill out later?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Hi...

No...Td or Tdap are the same.

TD and Tdap are NOT the same. Tdap includes acellular pertussis vaccine whereas the Td does not.

Tdap was recently developed for adults as a booster to prevent outbreaks of Pertussis aka Whooping Cough. This previously was only given during our childhood vaccinations. The immunity wears off by the time we reach our late teens to early adulthood hence why they developed it as a booster finaly for adults. The Tdap is a one time booster for us adults, then you go back to Td boosters every 10 years. So yes, marking the Td box when you were given Repevax is a mistake. I'm not sure if they are REQUIRING the pertussis part or not. It's not a requirement in the US, just being offered to those who want it, but I'm not sure about immigration requirements.

I'm also not sure about your PS question. Did you state that you had chickenpox in the past? That would explain the statement that you have varicella history. The vaccination record incomplete may be referring to something else and without knowing your immunization history I'd have no idea what they mean.

Thanks CBR for such a concise reply! I shall contact the medical center ASAP and inform them of their mistake. It *should* not affect issuing the K-1 visa, but I am worried it might cause problems when I transfer my status. Will the medical center be able to inform the Embassy of their error and make this a quick one to fix? Anyone I my situation experienced problems?

Yes, I had chickenpox as a child, and I assume that is why they filled in "VH" (Varicella History). This appears to be the only vaccination I am lacking. This leaves me with the question; is it more of a pain to get a waiver, or just wait until I get back to the States and get a varicella vaccination?

Thanks!

Edited May 23, 2008 by phub11

[CBR 0]

I thought they didn't require the Varicella if you have a history of chickenpox. You might have immunity. You could get a titer once you're here and see if you even need it (blood test that shows the number of antibodies you have for it). It would also be just as easy and not harmful to just get a Varicella shot. I don't know why they're suggesting a waiver. That seems weird to me.

[morretti 0]

I thought they didn't require the Varicella if you have a history of chickenpox. You might have immunity. You could get a titer once you're here and see if you even need it (blood test that shows the number of antibodies you have for it). It would also be just as easy and not harmful to just get a Varicella shot. I don't know why they're suggesting a waiver. That seems weird to me.

On the US Embassy medical vaccine chart it says:-

Varicella

(Chickenpox)

Not available in the UK

http://london.usembassy.gov/cons_new/visa/iv/vaccinechart.html

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

The reason they no longer give the varicella vaccine in the UK is a little complicated.

Once a person has contracted varicella the body will produce antibodies to fight the infection. The virus never completely leaves the body, and remains dormant in the nervous system, and the level of antibodies gradually declines over time. When the level of antibodies becomes low enough then the virus can become active, resulting in a very painful disease called shingles.

First time infection with varicella is generally much more severe in adults than in children. The vaccine only provides some level of immunity for 5 years, after which a booster is required. However, it's been found that the antibody level of an adult who was previously infected gets the same sort of boost from exposure to someone who has an active infection, thereby reducing the chances of their contracting shingles later.

In other words, the public health officials in the UK have determined that:

1. It's better if a child is allowed to get chickenpox then to risk them later getting it for the first time as an adult.

2. Having children around with the disease helps to reduce the occurrence of shingles in adults.

So, if you're a middle aged adult who had chickenpox as a kid, you haven't had shingles yet, and you know someone whose kid has chickenpox, it might be a good idea to pay them a visit.