LAND DOWNUNDER, Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi

[James&Candice 3]

I was lucky regarding the Cervical Cancer injections I was turning 27 during the process of having them and I still got them for free (the cut of was 26). I think my Dr was just trying to get as many young women to have them as possible to protect them.

Lime green will definately stand out. I bought rainbow coloured straps to go around mine to help identify them.

Terri, is the Tetanus Boostrix the TDap or TP, was just wondering? id guess by the name its TP.

Candice

[TerriandEric 4]

I was lucky regarding the Cervical Cancer injections I was turning 27 during the process of having them and I still got them for free (the cut of was 26). I think my Dr was just trying to get as many young women to have them as possible to protect them.

Lime green will definately stand out. I bought rainbow coloured straps to go around mine to help identify them.

Terri, is the Tetanus Boostrix the TDap or TP, was just wondering? id guess by the name its TP.

Candice

It was the TDap we had done.

The Cervical Cancer shot was a good thing but I was well past the age for it lol...geez talk about sounding like an old woman LOL.

[kaffy 2]

Has anyone thought about their pill? And how much they will take with them?

I brought a year's worth as that's the maximum my GP could prescribe at one time. Had no issues coming through immi/customs.. no bags checked or nothing

My supply ran out in time for my annual exam so I got it re-prescribed by my doctor here and it actually worked out to be cheaper than what I paid in Aus (my copay was $10 for a 3 month supply)

[James&Candice 3]

Well thats a relief ... yeah mine here in SYD are costing my $35 for 3mths. I guess 9mths worth will be enough which is what the Dr prescribes with the repeats.

[kaffy 2]

oh I should mention mine was a generic one though so if you take a branded one it'll cost more but it should be comparable to what you're paying in Aus

[James&Candice 3]

yeah mine is the generic version too ....called Juliet

[Jaime and Melvin 0]

Hiya Candice and welcome

Tez my Boostrix was free I guess because I've just had a baby. Does your arm have a very tender lump on it? Mine does and yesterday I felt quite achey through my body and just didn't feel 100% ... side effects I guess! Once I get my blood immunity results back next week and if I require anymore jabs, I'll be making them use the other arm lol.

That is a crazy amount for the cervical cancer vacc!! I bet you near fainted .

[TerriandEric 4]

Hiya Candice and welcome

Tez my Boostrix was free I guess because I've just had a baby. Does your arm have a very tender lump on it? Mine does and yesterday I felt quite achey through my body and just didn't feel 100% ... side effects I guess! Once I get my blood immunity results back next week and if I require anymore jabs, I'll be making them use the other arm lol.

That is a crazy amount for the cervical cancer vacc!! I bet you near fainted .

The price took my breath away for sure...I just looked at the pharmacist & said 'ummm not today thanks' I will ring the US doctor and speak to the receptionist and find out if my daughter NEEDS to have that particular injection prior to leaving Australia.

/rant on/ On top of everything else we read last night that the K1 fees have gone up and apparently they come into effect as of March 1 -- which totally sucks because we are days away from NOA2 and now we need to find another $400 just to pay the visa fee for both of us. I was livid when I read it last night and ranted at Eric about it -- I mean to my way of thinking (and a few others as well) it is nothing short of extortion for those of us who have already filed & in the middle of the process...surely they would grandfather the fees for those of us...but being a government department -- not likely!!! /end rant/

[Jaime and Melvin 0]

The price took my breath away for sure...I just looked at the pharmacist & said 'ummm not today thanks' I will ring the US doctor and speak to the receptionist and find out if my daughter NEEDS to have that particular injection prior to leaving Australia.

/rant on/ On top of everything else we read last night that the K1 fees have gone up and apparently they come into effect as of March 1 -- which totally sucks because we are days away from NOA2 and now we need to find another $400 just to pay the visa fee for both of us. I was livid when I read it last night and ranted at Eric about it -- I mean to my way of thinking (and a few others as well) it is nothing short of extortion for those of us who have already filed & in the middle of the process...surely they would grandfather the fees for those of us...but being a government department -- not likely!!! /end rant/

Oh that is #######!! IMHO they should let people that have filed, up until March 1st, pay the $131 or whatever it currently is! I knew I'd have to pay double, I'm just glad my baby is USC so that will be one less to pay for luckily!

It all adds up doesn't it ... I'm not complaining but everything little thing seems to be big chunks of cash, not a little bit here and there lol.

How much did your medicals cost Tez? Was Bek's a little cheaper than yours? Just wondering because as you know, I will be forking out double for that like you also lol.

[TerriandEric 4]

Oh that is #######!! IMHO they should let people that have filed, up until March 1st, pay the $131 or whatever it currently is! I knew I'd have to pay double, I'm just glad my baby is USC so that will be one less to pay for luckily!

It all adds up doesn't it ... I'm not complaining but everything little thing seems to be big chunks of cash, not a little bit here and there lol.

How much did your medicals cost Tez? Was Bek's a little cheaper than yours? Just wondering because as you know, I will be forking out double for that like you also lol.

Bek's medical is going to cost us $209..where as mine is $310 so hers is a little cheaper.

I agree it isn't just little bits of money there is just chunks of cash every time we turn around. On top of this process there is then AOS & a wedding to pay for....none of it is cheap but it is so worth every single cent, every tear we shed over missing our fiance's so darn much....its worth it all -- does not mean we can not whinge when there are processes a government department does that annoy us royally.

[alex and astrid 38]

Hi all excuse my butting in. I've been lurking for awhile and decide to add myself to the fray.

So I decided to make the appointment with my local GP and get the vaccines I need (MMR/TDap). Was still tossing up weather I need the titre test but decided against it. I will just get the shots and get what evidence he has and worry about the rest later. Are prior vaccines like polio and such relevant? Do they need to know I had them? I think probably not

Has anyone thought about their pill? And how much they will take with them?

Oh um I know you weren't talking to me but I will be based in Sarasota FL.

Candice

Hi Candice

To help with your questions I will tell you about my own experience. I was lucky about my vaccines...I was born in South Australia, grew up in both SA and Victoria, and then while I was going through the K1 process, lived in Queensland. You are only a few years older than me (I'm 23) and I just had to do a bit of ringing around. Local council is always a good place to start. High schools and Primary schools usually do not keep records of and jabs you had while attending. Also, where ever you were born, call the hospital or district health for that area, they can usually provide your shots from when you were born. We are too old to be on the national register that exists, but at a local level there should be something But, if you have already looked and they don't have them....thats just plain bad luck

I would say, especially since we are close in age, that you would have had the majority of all the shots required, just because we were run through all of them in school. I just had to get the Boostrix shot (which HURT like a mother!) and then the HPV course. The only think I could not prove was having chicken pox, so my doctor had bloods run on me, and she checked for rubella just because she could. It's such a pain in the as$ to have it all checked, but it could come in useful, especially when it comes to getting health insurance in the States. So yeah, I think it's relevant to have your whole history!

As for the Pill - The three major times I have traveled to the US (VWP, student visa, and the K1) I have had a fair amount of pill packs with me. Never been asked about it. My brother even brought some over for me when he visited once (my mum had been taking the same brand but stopped) and he had no problem. The student visa and K1, I had a year and a bit's worth. I would get the year's worth back home, and then once you are here, just go to Planned Parenthood and you can get it for free. I've gone there several times, and it's a really good resource.

My husband is going to add me to his health insurance very soon, so once I know how much the pill costs I will share the details!

Good luck on your journey Candice!

Edited February 28, 2010 by alex and astrid

[VanessaTony 3,567]

The price took my breath away for sure...I just looked at the pharmacist & said 'ummm not today thanks' I will ring the US doctor and speak to the receptionist and find out if my daughter NEEDS to have that particular injection prior to leaving Australia.

/rant on/ On top of everything else we read last night that the K1 fees have gone up and apparently they come into effect as of March 1 -- which totally sucks because we are days away from NOA2 and now we need to find another $400 just to pay the visa fee for both of us. I was livid when I read it last night and ranted at Eric about it -- I mean to my way of thinking (and a few others as well) it is nothing short of extortion for those of us who have already filed & in the middle of the process...surely they would grandfather the fees for those of us...but being a government department -- not likely!!! /end rant/

I am the bearer of good news and you will love me eternally...

The HPV vaccine, as of Dec 14, 2009 is NO LONGER REQUIRED for visa purposes. Just in case you're scared to believe me here's some links to have you jumping for joy

Here: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...0004718190aRCRD this is the Q&A for the HPV

"Q. I heard that the vaccine against herpes zoster (zoster) and the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) are required vaccines. Is this true?

A. From Aug. 1, 2008, until Dec. 13, 2009, the zoster and the HPV were required vaccines for immigration purposes. However, the zoster vaccine was not available from Aug. 1, 2008, through Dec. 13, 2009, and USCIS posted a message on the Web to inform civil surgeons they could annotate the vaccination record with "not available" if they were not able to obtain the vaccine. In 2009, CDC changed the vaccination requirements based on ACIP's recommendations. As of Dec. 14, 2009, the zoster and the HPV vaccine were no longer required. "

Here: http://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/...nstructions.pdf (these are the instructions for the Civil surgeon's themselves, page 5:

"Significant changes to U.S. immigration vaccination requirements since the last revision of the “Technical Instructions to Civil Surgeons for Vaccination Requirements” are―

• Human papillomavirus vaccine does not need to be given to females 11 through 26 years of age.

• Zoster vaccine does not need to be given to persons 60 years of age or older.

..............."

And finally here: http://www.uscis.gov/USCIS/Laws/Memoranda/...anges121509.pdf an actual USCIS memo, page 7:

"Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination: From August 1, 2008 through December 13, 2009, HPV vaccination was required for female individuals ages 11 years through 26 years. The requirement was eliminated on December 14, 2009"

It's okay, you can thank me later :D

[kaffy 2]

My husband is going to add me to his health insurance very soon, so once I know how much the pill costs I will share the details!

You should be able to find this out now if your husband knows what his prescription coverage is Most plans typically offer 3 levels of co-pays.. i.e. $5 generic, $10 preferred, $20 non-preferred for a 30 day supply

If you take a branded pill (i.e. yaz, seasonale) you'll usually pay the higher price but if you take the generic version the costs are usually comparable to Aus (if not cheaper)

[TerriandEric 4]

I am the bearer of good news and you will love me eternally...

The HPV vaccine, as of Dec 14, 2009 is NO LONGER REQUIRED for visa purposes. Just in case you're scared to believe me here's some links to have you jumping for joy

It's okay, you can thank me later :D

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! Oh Vanessa I could just kiss you LMAO! My daughter is as we speak jumping for joy! :dance: :dance:

[Jaime and Melvin 0]

Bek's medical is going to cost us $209..where as mine is $310 so hers is a little cheaper.

I agree it isn't just little bits of money there is just chunks of cash every time we turn around. On top of this process there is then AOS & a wedding to pay for....none of it is cheap but it is so worth every single cent, every tear we shed over missing our fiance's so darn much....its worth it all -- does not mean we can not whinge when there are processes a government department does that annoy us royally.

Oh at least it was $100 cheaper ... hopefully the cost here in Melbourne is similar. I think Vanessa's thread said hers was about $330 (not including the jabs etc).

Yep I've got the AOS in the back of my mind too lol. I think I'll be paying for everything over here myself, like Medicals, Police Check, Visas etc + our flights, which I don't mind, because I know Melvin is going to have to support the 3 of us until I'm allowed to work. He's already sending me money weekly to help buy things for our baby, I would feel bad asking for more. I just have to really knuckle down hard with my savings but the good thing is, while I'm away for 2 months in June/July, I have NO rent to pay while I'm gone because I am living with my Dad at the moment , so that will enable me to save a few pays whilst I'm over there and then I can do my tax return when I get back and there's some more savings. It SHOULD cover everything hopefully. I would love to have the money for AOS when I leave here for good, so we can file for that as soon as we get there.

*waves* to everyone ... good to see some movement in this thread for a change hehe