Another warning K1s. Get your shots!

[bonzaigirl 13]

So I would like my fiancé to not get to Knightsbridge, all nervous and everything, and be forgetful as to what the form copy they give him should look like properly filled out.

Is there an example somewhere so he knows for sure that it's properly filled out?

I've seen some, just type ds3015 in Google, then click images. I'm not sure if you'll be able to check this link, http://azbukas.com/ds_3026.jpg Hope this helps.

[yuna628 9,671]

Nope, that's not it. I mean the actual DS3025 vaccination sheet. I'm guessing the chickenpox needs to be marked VH, flu (which is not n/a at this time of the season) with an F, and the rest with checks for yes if you've had the shot, or checks in the section for n/a if it does not apply. I'm double checking as I've seen that Knightsbridge has incorrectly filled out the form for some patients.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Yuna

This is the new version of the form but it's not filled out like a sample http://photos.state.gov/libraries/thailand/591452/iv/ds3025.pdf

There are letter codes for waivers in the last column. If I had a decent way to post photos, I would make a sample. Perhaps a project to add to my list. I just don't have any kind of drop box set up for sharing photos. And each person's might be slightly different depending on if they brought in childhood records or just started

So look at the form. Print it even and follow along with today's lesson . I think you can figure it out. He would have checkmarks and dates beside required shots or a waiver marked.

Columns:

Any record he brings in is noted by a date in the first set of columns.

Shots given on the day at Knightsbridge have their own column called "Vaccine given by Panel Site"

Then there's two columns for Refugees only.

Then a column to mark the date if he had a titre blood test to check for immunity.

Last column is reason a waiver can be given.

So most of the shots will have the waiver "not age appropriate" A because they are kid shots.

These adult shots should have a date

Tdap or Td need a date less than 10 years ago. There could be some dates from earlier baby shots that they also list, but the most recent has to be less than 10 years ago to be complete.

MMR - two dates. Can be from when a baby. (No 10 year thing like Tdap)

But let's say he didn't have his childhood records and went to his GP for MMR. Two shots have a waiting period of 4 weeks in between. Immigration does not make you hold up the process waiting on shot intervals. If four weeks haven't passed since first MMR, there is a waiver-- "Insufficient time interval" B. He never has to get that shot if that waiver is marked and the rest of his sheet is complete.

Varicella - the one to watch. Must say you had chickenpox. They may not ask. It should look like:

Varicella

-- Vaccine

-- Varicella History <------ this should be checked

You want credit for being immune and never needing the shot. The nurse was marking them with the waiver "not routinely available" D. That works for a CR1 but for a K1, you could get a varicella shot in the US, so not available isn't a good excuse.

Influenza- If it's flu season Oct 1 to Mar 31, then you must have a date for this years version. An old flu shot wouldn't count. If it is not flu season, then the waiver is marked "Not flu season" F. You don't have to go get one even if your AOS is approved during flu season. They are supposed to look at the date of your medical and if you were complete as possible on that date, then nothing else to go get. (No flu shot if you have F waiver and no second MMR if you got the time interval waiver.)

In Part 2, they are not marking K1s as "complete for US immigration" because it isn't an immigrant visa. If anybody feels like begging or sweet-talking, maybe you could say you really wish that box was checked since you are complete and can use that form for your adjustment of status. The AOS requirements are the same shots as the immigrant visas and they know those requirements.

[bonzaigirl 13]

Nope, that's not it. I mean the actual DS3025 vaccination sheet. I'm guessing the chickenpox needs to be marked VH, flu (which is not n/a at this time of the season) with an F, and the rest with checks for yes if you've had the shot, or checks in the section for n/a if it does not apply. I'm double checking as I've seen that Knightsbridge has incorrectly filled out the form for some patient

oops.. sorry. That was actually a typo. Didn't see that. Sorry and thanks for the correction.

[ChasUno 101]

Having a last minute panic, so hopefully someone can put my mind at rest.

When I initially went to my doctors I took the VJ guide stating which vaccines are needed for the K1 AOS. After looking over my entire vaccination history, my doctor informed me that I would need "DTP and MMR". MMR is obvious, but DTP is Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio. I assumed initially that the 'P' stood for "Pertussis", and it wasn't until I got the print out today that I realised it wasn't.

I'm a little confused as the website vaccination chart linked to by the UK Embassy (http://photos.state.gov/libraries/unitedkingdom/164203/cons-visa/vaccine_chart.pdf) states for vaccine Td/ Tdap "if 10 years through 64 (for Tdap - see ACIP schedule). Below this age and above 64 it suggests that Td is all that is required.

My question is, do I need the adult Pertussis booster for AOS (I was originally vaccinated against Pertussis in October 1969)?

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Having a last minute panic, so hopefully someone can put my mind at rest.

When I initially went to my doctors I took the VJ guide stating which vaccines are needed for the K1 AOS. After looking over my entire vaccination history, my doctor informed me that I would need "DTP and MMR". MMR is obvious, but DTP is Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio. I assumed initially that the 'P' stood for "Pertussis", and it wasn't until I got the print out today that I realised it wasn't.

I'm a little confused as the website vaccination chart linked to by the UK Embassy (http://photos.state.gov/libraries/unitedkingdom/164203/cons-visa/vaccine_chart.pdf) states for vaccine Td/ Tdap "if 10 years through 64 (for Tdap - see ACIP schedule). Below this age and above 64 it suggests that Td is all that is required.

My question is, do I need the adult Pertussis booster for AOS (I was originally vaccinated against Pertussis in October 1969)?

Copy /paste of what I said in the K1 guide, first post:

Td or Tdap - Tetanus/diptheria/pertussis or get DT, DTP or DtaP and it will be accepted for AOS also. The latest shot must be no longer than 10 years ago or you need a booster. If you have a record of receiving pertussis, then the Td is okay for the booster.

Ages mentioned--

Did you read the fine print below that chart. There's pediatric formula and teen and adult formula Boostrix or Adacel (commercial name). That's why the ages.

The capital and lower case letters mean something.

Tdap--Big dose T, smaller dose d and p (Adults)

DTP--Big dose T and D and P (babies, little kids)

Some teens and adults reacted to large baby doses of diptheria and pertussis so the Tdap and Td were developed.

You have to remember you are giving a UK doctor a US list. They vary. Maybe in the UK they add polio to the Td mix. I don't know. Maybe they gave you the baby version. That's what my husband got.

[ChasUno 101]

Thanks for the response Nich-Nick.

Yes, I did read the small print below the chart and also the VJ K1 guide, and I think that's what is confusing me. Also the vaccine chart linked to by the Embassy says:

"Td/ Tdap - Yes if 7 years and older (for Td); if 10 years through 64 (for Tdap- see ACIP schedule); if 65 years and older (for Td)"

Am I reading this correctly as depending on your age, you need Td (adult formula) OR Tdap (adolescent and adult formula), and if you are aged 10 to 64 then you must have Tdap and NOT Td?

The vaccine I was given was DTP, which is NOT the same as the DTP in the vaccine chart as the "P" I had was Polio, whereas the "P" in the Embassy chart is "Pertussis". The UK DTP does contain Tetanus and the stronger version of Diphtheria (which are both in Tdap), as well as Polio that isn't required. It does not contain Pertussis in any form (including the acellular version - "ap").

I've just spoken to Knightsbridge on the phone and the person I spoke to wasn't very helpful as she just said "I can't give that advice out over the phone, you will have to discuss it at the medical". I also spoke to my doctors surgery, and they stated that Pertussis is only give to babies and that they don't give it to adults (in the UK). As mentioned in my post above, I had the Pertussis vaccine when I was a baby.

I'm probably not seeing the wood for the trees again (!), but as my medical is next Tuesday I still have time to get the Pertussis vaccine/ booster if it is required (and I can get back to my doctor quickly), though I might not get an appointment until next Monday now and my medical is next Tuesday.

It would be a shame to miss out on one vaccine after getting this far, and having to pay extra at the Embassy. Especially after trying hard to prepare well in advance.

Edited June 4, 2015 by ChasUno

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Chart is trying to show at what age Tdap is chosen over DTP. What if you were age 10?

Aha!! ..no to baby formulation...yes to adult formulation

Td is the booster for those who had the baby DTP shots.

Tdap is the starter version when adults have never been immunized as children or have no record. It is a one shot catch up to cover you.

1) Were you immunized for diptheria, tetanus, and pertussis as a baby/tot?

2) Have you been immunized for tetanus and diptheria in the last 10 years?

Can't keep holding your hand on this one. I've said all I know and repeated it. Your choice if you want to fret and analyze a little abbreviated chart.

Edited June 4, 2015 by Nich-Nick

[yuna628 9,671]

Chas, I think you're fine. Really. I know I know I know. But you're fine. As for Pertussis not being given to adults, you actually can obtain it in the US. Whooping cough is resurging and adults can infect babies. By adults infecting, I mean those that for whatever strange reason were never vaxxed as kids. Again whatever shots you got at your GP, I believe you to be totally fine. And you shouldn't worry a thing about it.

[ChasUno 101]

Thank you for your responses Nich-Nick and Yuna628

I can tell Nich-Nick comes from a teaching background. Like all good teachers, they don't teach you the answer, they teach you how to look for the answer!

I guess I was just panicking a bit when I got my vaccination print out yesterday and found that the DTP in the UK is different to the DTP in the USA. Yes, I had the Pertussis vaccine as a baby, though I then started doing web searches and looking on the CDC website (uh oh..!) and found info about adult Pertussis boosters, plus reading too deeply into the vaccination chart.

I shall take a deep breath, walk away for a bit and stop panicking!

Edited June 4, 2015 by ChasUno

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

I can tell Nich-Nick comes from a teaching background. Like all good teachers, they don't teach you the answer, they teach you how to look for the answer!

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. ~a proverb

It is more beneficial to teach a person how to do something than to do that something for them.

Give ChasUno an answer and he will be hungry for another tomorrow . Teach ChasUno to read and analyze and he will get through immigration without an RFE or a nervous breakdown.

Edited June 8, 2015 by Nich-Nick

[ChasUno 101]

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. ~a proverb

It is more beneficial to teach a person how to do something than to do that something for them.

Give ChasUno an answer and he will be hungry for another tomorrow . Teach ChasUno to read and analyze and he will get through immigration without an RFE or a nervous breakdown.

[swji89 41]

Apologies as I've been asking similar questions elsewhere. Similarly helpful responses!

I'm tempted to overthink all of this too but, at the end of the day, any vaccinations missing can be done at the medical, no? it might cost more, but at least it's done and signed off then.

Edited June 9, 2015 by swji89

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Apologies as I've been asking similar questions elsewhere. Similarly helpful responses!

I'm tempted to overthink all of this too but, at the end of the day, any vaccinations missing can be done at the medical, no? it might cost more, but at least it's done and signed off then.

Yes, they offer them for a fee. The nurse there tends to tell K1s they don't need the shots and get them later. Insist that you want to be complete for US immigration right now so you don't have to pay another doctor in the US sign off on an immunization form.

But remember if you have one MMR and four weeks hasn't passed they can't give a second MMR. They should mark the waiver code. She may tell you to go get another MMR in a few weeks and may even write that it is due somewhere on your sheet, but she doesn't actually know USCIS and adjustment of status. Panel physicians are really only supposed to mark shots, dates, and waiver codes and not scribble their own notes about when you might be ready for another dose, but they tend to do that at Knightsbridge.

[ChasUno 101]

I had my medical done today (as mentioned in the UK VJ progress thread). The medical was relatively smooth and painless, nothing difficult (at least not in my case).

The vaccination part I felt was rushed. I got called from the waiting room, but the lady who called me was so quick that by the time I got out of the door I couldn't see where she'd gone. I went the wrong way down the corridor initially, then turned back and another person waiting for their medical pointed me towards the reception area. I found her at the reception booth right next to the main entrance.

Anyway, she gave me some of the forms and my passport back, gave me the sheet with the vaccination details on it and said "blah blah blah" very quickly (I think she wanted to go home). I had to stop her and tell her to slow down please. Anyway, she gave me the form with the vaccination details and said that's what I would need when I got to the USA. I asked her if I met all the requirements, she said yes, so I asked why the US vaccinations requirement box in section 2 (summary for immigrant visa applicants) wasn't ticked and got the "We don't tick that for K1's". Fair enough I guess, though we have heard that some do tick it. I also noticed that the DT, DTP, DTaP box wasn't ticked despite 5 dates being put in that row. She said, "Oh", took it to some other lady working behind the scenes and who just mumbled something about it not being needed but ticked the box anyway.

With regards to the vaccination worksheet, I noticed the following:

DT, DTP, DTaP - dated up to 1997. No date for when I had the DTP in April 2015 (no room for date?) Marked as "A" (Not age appropriate)

Td - Marked as "B" (Insufficient time interval). I had DTP done in April 2015, which contains TD.

Varicella Not Ticked but marked "D" - (Not routinely available)

Varicalla History ticked - (Indicated reason box left blank).

Posted below is a copy of the vaccination worksheet (minus any personal information/ details) for all to see.

In the next post I will post a copy of the FAQ that came with it.