Preventive treated for TB 21 years ago

[Dutchster 1,107]

Hey guys! I kinda would appreciate some similar cases maybe or advice or whatsoever.

Yesterday I had my medical exam, three weeks before my interview. In 1994, my father was diagnosed with open tuberculosis and my mother - pregnant with my sister at that time and ready to pop - went from a negative Mantoux to a positive one but the Thorax photo's came out clean for her. We all know lying is no good when dealing with immigration or life itself, so I told the truth about this case 21 years ago. (Also in case I get tested in America and they found out I lied.. not risking any GC problems, deportation etc) I felt like alarmbells went off in the clinic and two panel psychians listened to my story and even called my dad for more explanation. My dad always believed both my new born sister and me were infected with latent TB, same as my mom, but when we got the medical history and diagnoses from the hospital the same day, the diagnoses only say my father was infected with open tb and my mom with latent. In consultation with the national department of health and the children's doctor, my baby sister and me got treated with INH (preventive) which means no infection. The national department of health told me this too; when children are not infected but in contact with parent with TB, they get treated and immunized - preventive. Standard procedure..

My xray came out clean, yesterday; I have healthy lungs. No sign from old TB either. This is no reason to get rejected, right? Most likely a visa delay? Are they that strict that they want me retested even though I wasn't infected, no latent TB?

I might be stressing over nothing because I wasn't infected at all or I might face a delay now because that's how strict the US is about TB cases.

Thanks in advance!

Edited June 24, 2016 by stephadams

[Hypnos 6,578]

No infection and a clean x-ray = no problem.

[Dutchster 1,107]

I figured it's 21 years ago and if I was infected still I would not have been alive by now (lol). It's more about the clean xray, seems to me. As long as that one is clean.

[Hypnos 6,578]

Exactly.

I was somewhat concerned for the same thing, because I was immunised against TB as a teenager in the UK, as most Europeans are. As I understood it though, the vaccination is only effective for 10-15 years. Sure enough, when they did the TB skin test for my I-693 it came back negative, meaning the vaccination had worn off and I didn't need to get an x-ray.

[Dutchster 1,107]

Thank you so much for replying! It's was indeed also very common around the 90's for children to get vaccined against TB. Although according to my mother, because of the antidotes, we will always test positive for skin test while we don't have it actually. I haven't heard back from the panel psychian after him receiving the medical history (we agreed to stay in contact that day if there is something 'wrong'), so I hope it's a no news good news thing. I assumed that if my xray is clean, there is nothing much to delay my visa.

[Hypnos 6,578]

If you had the same vaccine I did, it will only be effective at most for 15 years. After that, skin tests will no longer give a positive indicator for TB.

It may be different if you were actually treated for it though.

Edited June 25, 2016 by Hypnos

[Dutchster 1,107]

I was preventive treated because my father had open tuberculosis, I did not have any vaccines. I was treated for a half a year with Isoniazid (INH) to prevent TB. The panel psychian wanted documents saying where I was treated, when, how long, how high the dose was etc. So I wasn't infected but it's a standard procedure with children from TB parents.

[TabeaK 517]

The majority of Europeans in your/our age group was vaccinated with the BCG vaccine. Now, as far as a vaccination goes, the BCG one has a high rate of side effects and is not necessarily effective. Which is why it pretty much is not used preventatively anymore.

Immunity - if it ever existed - can wear of in 10-15 years. Anyone vaccinated with BCG may or may nor react to the Tuberkulin skin test - which is why Europe uses X-Rays as the skin tests are impossible to interpret in the vaccinated cohort. I, for example, was vaccinated more than 30 years ago and still react strongly to the skin test. I have no history of Tuberculosis, nor does anyone in my environment.

Anyway: Your X-Ray is clean, hence you are good to go, no need to panic and you will get your visa.

If you ever get asked in the US to submit to a skin test, tell them about your BCG vaccine and ask for either an X-Ray or an ELISA test that is not interfered with by the vaccine.

Edited June 25, 2016 by TabeaK

[Dutchster 1,107]

Yeah I can vagualy remember the panel psychian telling me that IF there is sign from old TB, I need to get retested. Turns out my xray is fine and shouldn't worry? Again, I didn't get vaccines. Treated with tablets as a kid from TB parents. I have a feeling now I should be fine and receiving my visa on July 15. Thank you for responding!

[TBoneTX 45,962]

*** Thread is moved from the K-1 Process forum to the Embassy/Consulate forum -- topic involves medical issues. ***