Lack of proof of childhood vaccinations

[sashitaski 3]

How did all of you deal with the vaccination part of the medical exam? My husband doesn't have proof of his childhood vaccinations, although of course he had them (it was mandatory in the Soviet Union). Yesterday he went to his local clinic to see if they could find his records or at least give him some kind of note stating that he has had them all. They told him to come back today. So today he went there, spent about 3 hours in line, then was told to go to another line, the person there said he needed to go to the first line again, first line person said the person who makes those decisions is gone, doesn't know when she'll go back. The short of it is that they said they will not give my husband any such document! He had even made up a document listing the types of vaccinations and years so that they could just sign it, but they refused. I know that he can just have them all re-done at the same time he goes for his exam, but, besides it costing us more, I think it is ridiculous he has to get all his childhood vaccinations again just because his clinic says they don't have his records and won't give him a document saying he has had them.

Dealing with them was a disaster, hubby was so mad when he got back! I guess the only thing to do now is for him to get all the vaccinations again, right?

Has anyone else gone through this? Were you successful in obtaining anything from the local clinic?

[payxibka 10,045]

unless the "titer" test is available... this test is designed to find certain anti-bodies and if present, re-vaccination is not needed

[sashitaski 3]

unless the "titer" test is available... this test is designed to find certain anti-bodies and if present, re-vaccination is not needed

You wouldn't happen to know how to say that in Russian, would you?

[payxibka 10,045]

I do not.. It is a french rooted word.... I will ask my bride however....

here is a more formal definition:

Antibody titer is a laboratory test that measures the presence and amount of antibodies in blood. The antibody level in the blood is a reflection of past exposure to an antigen or to something that the body does not recognize as belonging to itself. The body uses antibodies to attack and remove foreign substances.

[Corey-Mariya 14]

How did all of you deal with the vaccination part of the medical exam? My husband doesn't have proof of his childhood vaccinations, although of course he had them (it was mandatory in the Soviet Union). Yesterday he went to his local clinic to see if they could find his records or at least give him some kind of note stating that he has had them all. They told him to come back today. So today he went there, spent about 3 hours in line, then was told to go to another line, the person there said he needed to go to the first line again, first line person said the person who makes those decisions is gone, doesn't know when she'll go back. The short of it is that they said they will not give my husband any such document! He had even made up a document listing the types of vaccinations and years so that they could just sign it, but they refused. I know that he can just have them all re-done at the same time he goes for his exam, but, besides it costing us more, I think it is ridiculous he has to get all his childhood vaccinations again just because his clinic says they don't have his records and won't give him a document saying he has had them.

Dealing with them was a disaster, hubby was so mad when he got back! I guess the only thing to do now is for him to get all the vaccinations again, right?

Has anyone else gone through this? Were you successful in obtaining anything from the local clinic?

Why not have all the vaccinations at the clinic he had the vaccinations when he was a child, before he has the exam? Also I do not know if those vaccinations are required before U.S.A entry or Green Card Submission? If you wait until the U.S.A. welfare offices, you can get all the vaccination for under five dollars! Russian health care is free so just get all the vaccinations there again? Am i not understanding somrthing here?

Edited February 6, 2009 by Corey-Mariya

[payxibka 10,045]

Why not have all the vaccinations at the clinic he had the vaccinations when he was a child, before he has the exam? Also I do not know if those vaccinations are required before U.S.A entry or Green Card Submission? If you wait until the U.S.A. welfare offices, you can get all the vaccination for under five dollars! Russian health care is free so just get all the vaccinations there again? Am i not understanding somrthing here?

Since the OP is going DCF which provides a greencard on entry... the vaccinations must be up to date in order to enter.

[sashitaski 3]

Today we called a private clinic (i.e. one that is not assigned to you based on where you live and where you pay them for their services), explained our situation, and asked if they could do do either a titer or at least give him the vaccinations he needs all over again. Their answer? No! Of course not! You have to go to your local clinic! Unbelievable! What is the purpose of private clinics if not to do the same thing as local, government-sponsored clinics, but for money and with less of a hassle? They acted as though vaccinating someone is illegal if it is not that person's local clinic. So then how is it, I wonder, that the pre-approved clinics that work with the U.S. consulate have no problems administering them? Just another Russian mystery.... After wasting too many hours on this issue, we are just giving up and going to have my husband receive all the vaccinations again on the day of his medical exam. Even if they would give him the titer test there, I have read it can take up to 12 days to get the results, which is too long to wait, since his interview is in 12 days from today.

Anyway, thank you for your input (and the information on the titer), and for those of you who have lots of time before your interview and would prefer not to receive another dose of required vaccinations, plan ahead and see if you can manage to get something from your local clinic, or at least have them administer a titer. Good luck!

By the way, titer in Russian is just "титр."

[eekee 182]

Today we called a private clinic (i.e. one that is not assigned to you based on where you live and where you pay them for their services), explained our situation, and asked if they could do do either a titer or at least give him the vaccinations he needs all over again. Their answer? No! Of course not! You have to go to your local clinic! Unbelievable! What is the purpose of private clinics if not to do the same thing as local, government-sponsored clinics, but for money and with less of a hassle? They acted as though vaccinating someone is illegal if it is not that person's local clinic. So then how is it, I wonder, that the pre-approved clinics that work with the U.S. consulate have no problems administering them? Just another Russian mystery.... After wasting too many hours on this issue, we are just giving up and going to have my husband receive all the vaccinations again on the day of his medical exam. Even if they would give him the titer test there, I have read it can take up to 12 days to get the results, which is too long to wait, since his interview is in 12 days from today.

Anyway, thank you for your input (and the information on the titer), and for those of you who have lots of time before your interview and would prefer not to receive another dose of required vaccinations, plan ahead and see if you can manage to get something from your local clinic, or at least have them administer a titer. Good luck!

By the way, titer in Russian is just "титр."

I know that some people in this forum with the same issue have gone to local schools and had them sign some kind of paper authorizing that they have gotten the shots, because obviously everyone who went to school in the Soviet Union got the same shots.

[sashitaski 3]

I know that some people in this forum with the same issue have gone to local schools and had them sign some kind of paper authorizing that they have gotten the shots, because obviously everyone who went to school in the Soviet Union got the same shots.

Interesting. Probably to do that, I'm guessing you should know someone at the school? I can just imagine what the response would be if you walked into some random school (or even your school that you attended years ago) and ask them to give you a document stating which shots you got. If we had lots of time on our hands and were extremely patient we might even try it. But after hearing that neither his own clinic nor a private clinic would provide him with anything, well, that just made us give up. I still think the situation is ridiculous, but what can you do? It's not worth going through the hassle.

Do you think there is any danger in getting the vaccinations again? I know that not all doctors are that keen to give you shots for no reason (and getting a second round because your medical info. was lost is pretty close to no reason).

[slim 1,525]

Schools are a good place to go.

There's also the "someone somewhere" who will make the document and once you pay the "penalty" they'll sign it.

I don't know if titr is chicken pox, but make sure it says "chicken pox" on it too.

[Blues Fairy 0]

One way explained here.

Good luck

[sashitaski 3]

Very interesting. Unfortunately, we're out of time, as the medical's the day after tomorrow. But good for future filers!

FYI, for those of you who would prefer to do titers (if you don't have your records), they DO do them here, at least at the Meditsina clinic, but it takes a while to get the results. I don't know how long, but more time than we have. If you get started a month prior to the interview though, you should be able to do it.

[Carlawarla 1]

Do you think there is any danger in getting the vaccinations again? I know that not all doctors are that keen to give you shots for no reason (and getting a second round because your medical info. was lost is pretty close to no reason).

I had no time to do the titre, and my childhood vaccination records were lost. I talked to both my family doctor and the immunization clinic, and while I knew I needed a tetnus booster, everything else was okay to just have done again. Luckily, they were done free. The risks associated were no different than the usual risks children can have while receiving them. While it's always better to have the record, in my case, that wasn't possible, and I received them again with no physical difficulties.

Best of luck!