Vaccination question

[nottoolong 1]

Hello,

I received my NOA1 3 months ago and I have a question about my fiancee's required vaccinations. I checked the medical exam requirements and I didn't even think of the MMR timeframe. If she doesn't get all the shots before the interview, does that mean she has to wait to come over for all of them to be completed? Also, does she have to go to the hospitals only offered in Bangkok or Chiang Mai? Seems she could get the shots by a Doctor in her hometown. I have to double check what shots she has received up to now.

Thank you for any input.

[Ning 619]

Hello,

I received my NOA1 3 months ago and I have a question about my fiancee's required vaccinations. I checked the medical exam requirements and I didn't even think of the MMR timeframe. If she doesn't get all the shots before the interview, does that mean she has to wait to come over for all of them to be completed? Also, does she have to go to the hospitals only offered in Bangkok or Chiang Mai? Seems she could get the shots by a Doctor in her hometown. I have to double check what shots she has received up to now.

Thank you for any input.

MMR?

She could get the shots at her doctors. She will need a record of those shots to submit at the hospital. The basic medical has to be done at the required hospitals.

One of you should contact the hospital to make sure she knows what shots are required. Those that need boosters can be done later in the USA.

I had mine done at our local county health clinic for 23 dollars rather then the 250 a doctor wanted.

[nottoolong 1]

MMR?

She could get the shots at her doctors. She will need a record of those shots to submit at the hospital. The basic medical has to be done at the required hospitals.

One of you should contact the hospital to make sure she knows what shots are required. Those that need boosters can be done later in the USA.

I had mine done at our local county health clinic for 23 dollars rather then the 250 a doctor wanted.

Measles, Mumps and Rubella. This is the series of three shots. My main concern was her getting all of them before my fiancee comes here. I've since researched and found that she can finish receiving them in the U.S., or as you said a booster if needed. The embassy info tab at the top VJ has all the requirements too. I'm sure she can go to her local town clinic and save a few dollars on her shots. I now have to talk with her and see what's she had so far.

Thank you for the reply.

[nottoolong 1]

Measles, Mumps and Rubella. This is the series of three shots. My main concern was her getting all of them before my fiancee comes here. I've since researched and found that she can finish receiving them in the U.S., or as you said a booster if needed. The embassy info tab at the top VJ has all the requirements too. I'm sure she can go to her local town clinic and save a few dollars on her shots. I now have to talk with her and see what's she had so far.

Thank you for the reply.

Hello, I'm back again after finding out more information. My fiancee doesn't have a record of her shots, so will likely need several when the time comes. I've referred to the Embassy website where it says the measles, mumps, rubella, and TD are required. I've also referred to the NVC website for the full list and rubella isn't included. I'm sure that's required though as it's a requirement in the U.S. Anyhow, just so she can receive some locally before her exam, and if she requires a lot, which ones should she receive? I know the panel physician determines which ones at the physical, but I want to possibly avoid her getting many of them at that time. Should she just receive the basic ones I mentioned, then wait for the physical?

Thank you!

[JD63 4]

She'll get a MMR and a TD booster. They will then mark those categories "insufficient time interval" and she will get a reevaluation by the CS in the US when you file AOS. My wife got a blood test confirmation for antibodies and then they signed the form. Since she has an incomplete vaccine history I would guess something similar would be your case as well.

[nottoolong 1]

Hello, I'm back again after finding out more information. My fiancee doesn't have a record of her shots, so will likely need several when the time comes. I've referred to the Embassy website where it says the measles, mumps, rubella, and TD are required. I've also referred to the NVC website for the full list and rubella isn't included. I'm sure that's required though as it's a requirement in the U.S. Anyhow, just so she can receive some locally before her exam, and if she requires a lot, which ones should she receive? I know the panel physician determines which ones at the physical, but I want to possibly avoid her getting many of them at that time. Should she just receive the basic ones I mentioned, then wait for the physical?

Thank you!

I should've contacted the hospital, as suggested earlier by Ning, and I will. I don't want her to be a pin cushion at her physical, and I don't think she will now. I researched a bit more and found the ones she'll most likely need, and I'll have her go locally to have those done. Once at the physical, she'll have the remaining ones done there. Again, I'll contact the hospital to make sure and hopefully they'll reply, but they could say just wait for the Doctor. We shall see. I think this all stemmed from thinking she needs everything done before she comes the United States, but I've since found out (Thank you again Ning) that she can receive any remaining ones here. I apologize for all this. We haven't even received the NOA2 yet!! Five months will be July 9th!

[nottoolong 1]

She'll get a MMR and a TD booster. They will then mark those categories "insufficient time interval" and she will get a reevaluation by the CS in the US when you file AOS. My wife got a blood test confirmation for antibodies and then they signed the form. Since she has an incomplete vaccine history I would guess something similar would be your case as well.

Thank you. I just replied to my reply and saw yours. Yes, my fiancee doesn't have any records. She knows she received some when she had her children, but can't remember fully. (Since she has children, would this matter which ones she requires?) I did see one of your replies in the past, very helpful. I will have her get the MMR and TD booster to start then. We'll see what else she'll need at the physical (if any).

[JD63 4]

It's broken down by age, so that's going to be the dependent factor on what is required. If you guys plan to have more children then your physician will likely recommend a TDaP instead just TD, so the baby can have some protection from pertussis, but that is perhaps a different question.

My suggestion for the physical will be to make sure they are using the current forms. Some other posters have had difficulties and had to get new forms signed because the hospitals were using old ones. Check that. The rest they will fill out for you. If she goes to that today, with an incomplete vaccination history, she will get a TD booster and an MMR, they do this every day for everyone they see without a history. She likely has already been immunized for these, but without records they will give these anyway. You can then deal with completing the form in the US and they can assist you in additional immunizations or antibody tests as they see fit.

[nottoolong 1]

It's broken down by age, so that's going to be the dependent factor on what is required. If you guys plan to have more children then your physician will likely recommend a TDaP instead just TD, so the baby can have some protection from pertussis, but that is perhaps a different question.

My suggestion for the physical will be to make sure they are using the current forms. Some other posters have had difficulties and had to get new forms signed because the hospitals were using old ones. Check that. The rest they will fill out for you. If she goes to that today, with an incomplete vaccination history, she will get a TD booster and an MMR, they do this every day for everyone they see without a history. She likely has already been immunized for these, but without records they will give these anyway. You can then deal with completing the form in the US and they can assist you in additional immunizations or antibody tests as they see fit.

Thank you again. I haven't been on in a while, and I just saw this. I will make sure they're using the correct and up to date forms. I've told my fiancee what shots she'll most likely receive and she's ok with that. I went by the age on one of the charts I printed. She probably already has been vaccinated with them, but giving them again is needed without documentation. Has to be done. She was also curious if the shots (or any) could be completed in the U.S. I said yes.

[JD63 4]

Great, the next step after that is finding a Civil Surgeon in the US that can help you with that after entry. Try to find one others recommend, or go to the county/regional public health clinic who do it at cost.

A bit off topic, but this was actually the most stressful part of our whole visa journey. My wife and I actually went to two, the first at the university hospital has a cookie cutter approach to these, and they had only done the full work up. We tried to convince them otherwise, but they went ahead anyway, and I insisted we only needed the vaccine worksheet. Finally the doctor admitted that he doesn't do those, the travel nurse does, and I would have to make an independent appointment with the nurse. It being summer travel season in a college town every student at the university needed to see the nurse as well, so it was going to be a 3 month wait, and I wanted to file ASAP.

So we had to go to another, who also insisted on the full work up, but actually read and understood the vaccine worksheet. He insisted on testing antibodies for the vaccines, which cost more than the boosters themselves, because she had an incomplete history. So about 600 dollars poorer, I finally got the thing signed.

[nottoolong 1]

Great, the next step after that is finding a Civil Surgeon in the US that can help you with that after entry. Try to find one others recommend, or go to the county/regional public health clinic who do it at cost.

A bit off topic, but this was actually the most stressful part of our whole visa journey. My wife and I actually went to two, the first at the university hospital has a cookie cutter approach to these, and they had only done the full work up. We tried to convince them otherwise, but they went ahead anyway, and I insisted we only needed the vaccine worksheet. Finally the doctor admitted that he doesn't do those, the travel nurse does, and I would have to make an independent appointment with the nurse. It being summer travel season in a college town every student at the university needed to see the nurse as well, so it was going to be a 3 month wait, and I wanted to file ASAP.

So we had to go to another, who also insisted on the full work up, but actually read and understood the vaccine worksheet. He insisted on testing antibodies for the vaccines, which cost more than the boosters themselves, because she had an incomplete history. So about 600 dollars poorer, I finally got the thing signed.

I'll research who others recommend when the time comes, good idea.

That does sound a bit stressful. Glad things worked out, even though you had to spend a good amount of money. How many did your wife end up having?

I do have another question though. To make things easier, and since I'm pretty sure my fiancee isn't going to receive a lot of vaccines, I thought it might be easier for her to receive them all at her physical. I'm really not crazy to have them done all at once, but thought it might be easier. I initially was going to have her go locally as suggested by Ning to receive some and save some money. But I read a thread somewhere here that if she does do that too soon, or longer than a month before her physical, (something to that extent) that she would have to have all the vaccines again at the physical. Is that true? I couldn't find a response to that statement and it doesn't seem right. My fiancee just e-mailed me asking me that she doesn't want to have a lot done at once, if she can avoid it, and I don't blame her. I thought if she did have them done locally (with paperwork shown at her physical) that that would be ok. Could you clarify? I was all set, then I read that thread...

[Andy and Pui 16]

But I read a thread somewhere here that if she does do that too soon, or longer than a month before her physical, (something to that extent) that she would have to have all the vaccines again at the physical. Is that true? I couldn't find a response to that statement and it doesn't seem right.

Nottoolong, not sure if you found your answer but I think I know it. I looked at Pui's documents that she got from her medical back in April. She got shots for MMR and Varicella. She needs to finish those shots here for AOS. Each of the MMR and Varicella you have to have 2 or 3 different shots over a time period to be fully vaccinated. I thought on her paperwork it said 4 - 8 weeks but I will look when I go home. Hope that helps or you found your answer.

Also if you go to a local doctor for the shots just make sure you get documents that you had the shots and bring those documents to the medical.

[nottoolong 1]

Nottoolong, not sure if you found your answer but I think I know it. I looked at Pui's documents that she got from her medical back in April. She got shots for MMR and Varicella. She needs to finish those shots here for AOS. Each of the MMR and Varicella you have to have 2 or 3 different shots over a time period to be fully vaccinated. I thought on her paperwork it said 4 - 8 weeks but I will look when I go home. Hope that helps or you found your answer.

Also if you go to a local doctor for the shots just make sure you get documents that you had the shots and bring those documents to the medical.

Andy and Pui, I think we're ok. I've checked out the recent vaccination schedules, dated Feb of 2011 and that's what it looks like too. Maybe she'll get the TD as well. I was just concerned that I read that thread somewhere which said if you get them done too early she would have to have them all done again. I've never heard anyone say that before. Anyhow, she'll get at least the MMR locally before the physical, and she'll get the documents. She'll go to the physical in a couple weeks. She's finishing up work and she can't get the time to go. We'll work on the paperwork in the meantime. Do you by chance know if McCormick Hospital in Chiang Mai requires appointments? I've tried to contact them, but no response. Maybe I'll have my fiancee give them a buzz.

Thank you for the response! I have several more questions to ask, and sometimes feel foolish. But I would really be if I didn't ask and something happened.

[Andy and Pui 16]

Do you by chance know if McCormick Hospital in Chiang Mai requires appointments? I've tried to contact them, but no response. Maybe I'll have my fiancee give them a buzz.

Thank you for the response! I have several more questions to ask, and sometimes feel foolish. But I would really be if I didn't ask and something happened.

I do not know if McCormick requires appointments or not. If you decide for your fiancee to get her police report in Bangkok then maybe plan an all day thing and do both all in one day. Or if McCormick is close for you then go there.

If it were me and I was not sure about a question I would ask it. During this process you do not want to be wrong about something or think you might be wrong. If you got any questions let me know. I know I have asked many questions in the past and I will continue to ask as I go through the AOS process.

[nottoolong 1]

I do not know if McCormick requires appointments or not. If you decide for your fiancee to get her police report in Bangkok then maybe plan an all day thing and do both all in one day. Or if McCormick is close for you then go there.

If it were me and I was not sure about a question I would ask it. During this process you do not want to be wrong about something or think you might be wrong. If you got any questions let me know. I know I have asked many questions in the past and I will continue to ask as I go through the AOS process.

Thank you again. I really appreciate it. I've always known the only dumb question is the one not asked. This is a delicate process, and May and I want to be together as soon as we can. I was actually going to post something in a few moments.

That's what I had planned, get both of those steps taken care of in Bangkok. She wants to see her friend in Chiang Mai though, as she probably won't see her for a while. I've asked her friend there as well to find out, but haven't heard from her yet. If she does go there without an appointment when the time comes, I'm sure she can schedule one and come back the next day, or I would hope so.