Montreal & Gardasil

[movieclockstar 0]

Hi all. Like many others I've seen on here, my fiancee and I have some major reservations about the supposed Gardisil requirement in Canada. However, we haven't seen any real answers one way or another, only hearsay. My fiancee (the beneficiary) is nearing 27 but will likely be 26 at the time of her medical. Taking the vaccine is not an option but neither is getting denied the visa.

Has anyone actually been rejected at Montreal for not having their vaccinations, particularly Gardisil up to date? Has anyone refused Gardisil with their physician and if so, what resulted from that?

And of lesser importance: Do all vaccinations REALLY have to be up to date before a visa is issued by Montreal or is that only necessary prior to AOS? Is it acceptable by the consolate for her to go to a panel physician here in Michigan for approval?

Here's hoping for some definite answers...

[~Laura and Nick~ 5]

When I went to my medical in Toronto, Dr Seiden looked at my file and said "Oh wow, you just turned 27, good thing or you would have had to gotten Gardasil, you're lucky, you just missed the age cut off".

A member on here "TheATeam" went to her medical in Vancouver a few months back just before her interview and the doctor let it slide on the Gardasil even though she was 26.

Since it's newer to the required list, I think some of the medical places are letting it slide, it really depends though. Dr. Seiden said that it is required to pass the medical in his office and if I had been 26 or under, I would have had to get it for him to sign off on my medical chart.

I don't know if anyone has actually refused it on here yet since it was just recently added. They may be more strict now since it's been at least 6 months since it's been on the required list.

[TheATeam 0]

Yup, I can tell you that the doctor in Vancouver let mine slide because it's so new. I think it's all up to the discretion of the doctor. The marked that it was contraindicated on my chart, meaning I shouldn't have it. I had a note from my naturopathic doctor as well though stating that it was in his medical opinion that it was not in my best interest to receive the vaccine as I've had bad reactions in the past. Where are you located? I know you're having the interview in Montreal but where in Canada are you? The best thing you can do is to phone the doctor's office and ask. I hope everything goes well for you, I'm sure it will!

[movieclockstar 0]

I'm the USC but my fiancee is in northern Ontario. She'll be calling various doctors to see what they have to say. We won't bother with Dr. Seiden... We're still a long way off from the medical but we're trying to plan ahead to see if there's any way to avoid this vaccination. We've also emailed the consolate asking whether a visa would be rejected due to incomplete vaccinations or whether it's just the physicians saying everything needs to be complete. Going by what USCIS says, incomplete vaccinations should not be a reason for denial.

Anyway, thanks for the responses!

[Marilyn. 340]

hey I was watching the news last night and I saw this little story about Gardasil.. I guess they have noticed that there are some serious side effects to it.. can't remember what at the moment... but the makers of gardasil are still saying it is safe to use...

just found this news story...

Gardasil certainly made headlines in 2006 when the Food and Drug Administration approved it as a vaccine against four strains of the human papillomavirus, or HPV, which can cause cervical cancer.

HPV can be transmitted sexually, so many parents decided to give the vaccination to their teenaged daughters.

Now, Gardasil is making headlines again. This time, the drug’s manufacturer is under scrutiny as the vaccine’s recipients are complaining of ill side effects.

There have been more than 78,000 complaints about Gardasil, New England Cable News reported Tuesday.

Complaints have included nausea, blood clots, genital warts, paralysis and even death.

The Centers for Disease Control said the deaths are not linked to Gardasil.

Merck is standing by its product, insisting it is safe.

“I think of all the vaccines out there, this has been thoroughly tested prior to release,” said Dr. Manny Alvarez, managing health editor of FOXNews.com. “This is a vaccine that helps protect women from a very deadly disease. Therefore the benefits fully outweigh any side effect that has been found so far.

"However, I do believe that with any medication, constant surveillance of complications need to be monitored aggressively and in extreme cases, like this one, thorough investigations are necessary.”

The family of one teenager – who is only going by the name of Jenny – told CBS News Monday that their daughter was healthy until 15 months ago when she received the third installment of the vaccine.

Jenny’s parents said it was soon after that final shot that Jenny began to experience signs of degenerative muscle disease, and she is now almost completely paralyzed.

“There may be a link. But, there is no medical consensus on whether this hypothesis is stronger than other possible explanations,” said the parents of Jenny, 13, who lives in Northern California.

“Based on the facts we’ve received, the information does not suggest that this event was casually associated with vaccination.”

Since the drug was approved, eight million females have received the vaccination.

Alvarez also noted that vaccines respond differently to the each individual’s immune system.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,377688,00.html

[cherylc522 0]

see that is really scary!! I am 21 and my dr. once suggested me getting it, well sorry it was a student nurse for my nurse practitioner cause i dont have a "dr" but i really didn't know much about it and its not free so i just decided i didn't need it, so now im probably going to have to get it with my medical right?? how do i get around that, i see that one of the side effects is blood clots, i know my family has a history of blood clots could i maybe get a note from my nurse practitioner saying that its not in my best interest to get this due to my medical history? i really dont want to get it, or does anyone know of a specific dr that doesn't require it, i would be going to either toronto or london i think, im an equal distance from both

[~Laura and Nick~ 5]

see that is really scary!! I am 21 and my dr. once suggested me getting it, well sorry it was a student nurse for my nurse practitioner cause i dont have a "dr" but i really didn't know much about it and its not free so i just decided i didn't need it, so now im probably going to have to get it with my medical right?? how do i get around that, i see that one of the side effects is blood clots, i know my family has a history of blood clots could i maybe get a note from my nurse practitioner saying that its not in my best interest to get this due to my medical history? i really dont want to get it, or does anyone know of a specific dr that doesn't require it, i would be going to either toronto or london i think, im an equal distance from both

I don't know if you can get around it now...it's been a mandatory thing for about 6 months now...I think when TheATeam had her medical it was so new they let it slide..they probably are being more strict about it now.

All you can do is call and ask...

You could get a letter from your doctor stating the reasons as to why you shouldn't be getting the vaccine...

Man, that sucks bad.

[cherylc522 0]

ugh that does really suck, specially when you see the side effects!!!! genital warts and death????? #######???

Edited July 8, 2008 by CherylandRichard

[Marilyn. 340]

well, to be fair they do say that those side effects have not been conclusively proven yet...

[movieclockstar 0]

well, to be fair they do say that those side effects have not been conclusively proven yet...

I think they ought to be conclusively disproven before they start mandating people take it.

[cherylc522 0]

hmmm not conclusive? still dont like the odds lol, i was reading about this product the other day (on wikipedia lol) and it actualy says in there that that company that made it had another product a few years back that the fda said for years was fine and then it turne out that some 23000 people had heart attacks and resperatory problems from it, i tried to find it to paste but it appears wikipedia has removed that from its info hmmm

[Marilyn. 340]

yeah I don't get either why they are making people get it....

[SapphireDreams 71]

Honestly though, there are risks to everything related to the pharmaceutical industry. I just finished taking Accutane and the risks were a. having a deformed baby and b. suicide. Did I suffere from those? Nope. I hardly suffered from any of the minor side effects.

Same with the birth control pill, one of the risks is a heart attacks, but how many million woman take it?

Even with the other vaccinations - there is always a risk no matter what. Are we going to live in fear? No way. They've probably tested this vaccine for years before putting it on the market.

Anyways, I've been meaning to make an appointment to go get my Gardisil shot. I have a lot of friends who have had it and they are totally fine.

I didn't have a chance to read the news story yet, but I hate U.S. news, especially FOX. It is so sensationalized. I'm not a Dr. but I work in PR and I don't take FOX news seriously ever.

Anyways, that's just my opinion.

yeah I don't get either why they are making people get it....

This i don't really get either. But, I don't really understand a lot of the immigration process...

But i'm not a against it either.

[Ana&D 0]

I'm not Canadian, but under 26 and did some research on the vaccination requirements and Gardasil in particular. It is not required for the visa, no matter what the doctor might say. At the same time, it is required for AOS. Thus, if you fiance is nearing 27 and can avoid getting the shot in Canada, she can avoid it altogether if files AOS after turning 27.

[movieclockstar 0]

I'm not Canadian, but under 26 and did some research on the vaccination requirements and Gardasil in particular. It is not required for the visa, no matter what the doctor might say. At the same time, it is required for AOS. Thus, if you fiance is nearing 27 and can avoid getting the shot in Canada, she can avoid it altogether if files AOS after turning 27.

This was our understanding and what we were hoping to do, as we should be able to postpone AOS until after her birthday. However, we've seen conflicting information on VJ about whether the Canadian consolates are playing by the USCIS rulebook on vaccinations or if they've made up their own. If they're denying visas based on incomplete vaccinations, to my mind they (the physicians and/or the consolate) are abusing authority and not complying with USCIS standards:

"Individuals applying for a K nonimmigrant visa as the fiancé(e) or the spouse or child of a U.S. citizen or for a V nonimmigrant visa as the spouse or child of a lawful permanent resident (LPR) (including those applying for V status in the United States) must undergo a medical exam, but are not required to comply with the vaccination requirements at that time. They will be required to comply with the vaccination requirements when they apply for permanent residence. "