Immunizations: I-693 - vaccination in India - upcoming trip

[theatxbombayguy 52]

Background:

 

Marriage Date: July 28, 2017

Me (age 29): F1 (2011) -> OPT (2013) -> H-1B (2014 - Austin, TX) -> H-1B - employer changed (2015 - Santa Clara, CA) -> H-1B (location amendment - 2017 - Austin, TX) - Active (Expires - 02/2020)

Wife - USC

Both of us live in Austin, TX and do not have any other dependents

Planning to file - Marriage based AOS (end of Jan 2018) - HERE - Also, planning to provide I-693 after initial package is sent - possibly closer to 

 

I've attempted to contact many Civil Surgeons within the Austin area based on the Find-A-Doctor link. Many of these have quoted me costs starting with $200 (at least for initial consultation) - $800 (crazy), depending on the vaccinations required.

Additionally, almost every doctor/facility I have contacted, accept health insurance from all the major providers. However, they refuse test either of these under the Insurance - stating that "Immigration Physical" is not covered under Insurance.

 

I managed to do some research, as many of you possibly have already done. See below for links and information:

https://www.uscis.gov/policymanual/HTML/PolicyManual-Volume8-PartB-Chapter9.html

https://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/exams/ti/civil/vaccination-civil-technical-instructions.html

 

For I-693, I assume that getting tested for Tuberculosis, Syphilis and Gonorrhea is MANDATORY?

Besides these, the form also lists the vaccinations mentioned in the links above (listed in the table below).

Based on the table at the cdc link, looking at the age appropriateness - I think I am in the green zone except for the one's highlighted below:

Is my understanding correct?

Note: I was vaccinated as a toddler for B.C.G (possible cause for the TB Skin test coming in as +ve - however, when I came to the US for school in Fall 2011, they did the skin test and found it -ve), DTP, MMR, OBV (polio). I also received the Meningococcal vaccine since it was a requirement for my University (have records).

I am positive I have not received vaccination for Rotavirus, Hib, Hep A, Hep B. Will the civil surgeon still have me get vaccinated for these?

 

 

For Td and Varicella (I have never had chicken pox in my childhood), if I get administered in India - have an upcoming trip, for both these vaccines, can any of you fellow VJers - please comment on what documentation is acceptable with the Civil Surgeon in order to transcribe and use that information to record in the I-693 form? 

 

@Aviinashh @Leo7777 @geowrian @sebastianshaw

 

[theatxbombayguy 52]

Tagging more VJers - @Abhi88 @adityaag

[theatxbombayguy 52]

Looks like the table from my first post never made it here...

[sebastianshaw 97]

14 hours ago, bombayburpster said:

Background:

 

Marriage Date: July 28, 2017

Me (age 29): F1 (2011) -> OPT (2013) -> H-1B (2014 - Austin, TX) -> H-1B - employer changed (2015 - Santa Clara, CA) -> H-1B (location amendment - 2017 - Austin, TX) - Active (Expires - 02/2020)

Wife - USC

Both of us live in Austin, TX and do not have any other dependents

Planning to file - Marriage based AOS (end of Jan 2018) - HERE - Also, planning to provide I-693 after initial package is sent - possibly closer to 

 

I've attempted to contact many Civil Surgeons within the Austin area based on the Find-A-Doctor link. Many of these have quoted me costs starting with $200 (at least for initial consultation) - $800 (crazy), depending on the vaccinations required.

Additionally, almost every doctor/facility I have contacted, accept health insurance from all the major providers. However, they refuse test either of these under the Insurance - stating that "Immigration Physical" is not covered under Insurance.

 

I managed to do some research, as many of you possibly have already done. See below for links and information:

https://www.uscis.gov/policymanual/HTML/PolicyManual-Volume8-PartB-Chapter9.html

https://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/exams/ti/civil/vaccination-civil-technical-instructions.html

 

For I-693, I assume that getting tested for Tuberculosis, Syphilis and Gonorrhea is MANDATORY?

Besides these, the form also lists the vaccinations mentioned in the links above (listed in the table below).

Based on the table at the cdc link, looking at the age appropriateness - I think I am in the green zone except for the one's highlighted below:

Is my understanding correct?

Note: I was vaccinated as a toddler for B.C.G (possible cause for the TB Skin test coming in as +ve - however, when I came to the US for school in Fall 2011, they did the skin test and found it -ve), DTP, MMR, OBV (polio). I also received the Meningococcal vaccine since it was a requirement for my University (have records).

I am positive I have not received vaccination for Rotavirus, Hib, Hep A, Hep B. Will the civil surgeon still have me get vaccinated for these?

 

 

For Td and Varicella (I have never had chicken pox in my childhood), if I get administered in India - have an upcoming trip, for both these vaccines, can any of you fellow VJers - please comment on what documentation is acceptable with the Civil Surgeon in order to transcribe and use that information to record in the I-693 form? 

 

@Aviinashh @Leo7777 @geowrian @sebastianshaw

 

I would recommend you to do these in US itself, if i recall correctly they test you for TB, Syp and Gonn. Yes. Also TDAP and MMR are mandatory so you can get that done at the civil surgeon's place itself. 

 

Also considering the fact that you are from India, there is a high probability that you have Latent TB. For which you will have to do an extra X ray also. 

 

All this is done by the Civil Surgeon. I have never heard of anybody paying more than $500 for all of this. I paid $350 if i remember correctly, but i am in MN 

[EvieMN 105]

I know it's tempting to get some vaccinations via your insurance but please DO NOT get any vaccinations just because you don't have them and you think you need them for AOS!

I'm yet to have my medical exam so I am not 100% sure but I did my own research and for example, the rota virus vaccine is primarily for babies. I think the civil surgeon can mark it "non age appropriate". Keep that in mind.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/rotavirus/index.html

 

You can check other vaccines on the left sidebar.

[theatxbombayguy 52]

20 minutes ago, EvieMN said:

I know it's tempting to get some vaccinations via your insurance but please DO NOT get any vaccinations just because you don't have them and you think you need them for AOS!

I'm yet to have my medical exam so I am not 100% sure but I did my own research and for example, the rota virus vaccine is primarily for babies. I think the civil surgeon can mark it "non age appropriate". Keep that in mind.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/rotavirus/index.html

 

You can check other vaccines on the left sidebar.

 

@EvieMN: That is my intention. I already posted table from the CDC website - and calculated in my post above that I ONLY need to get vaccinated for Td and Varicella. I have been vaccinated for MMR in my childhood, and have records to prove that.

 

5 hours ago, bombayburpster said:

Looks like the table from my first post never made it here...

 

[EvieMN 105]

Have you had chicken pox as a kid? You might not need to get the varicella shot.

My point was don't get any vaccinations on your own accord.

Go see the civil surgeon. If he says you need vaccination X, let them know you'll be getting it elsewhere with insurance and you will show them proof of getting it so they can put it in your form.

[theatxbombayguy 52]

19 hours ago, bombayburpster said:

For Td and Varicella (I have never had chicken pox in my childhood), if I get administered in India - have an upcoming trip, for both these vaccines, can any of you fellow VJers - please comment on what documentation is acceptable with the Civil Surgeon in order to transcribe and use that information to record in the I-693 form? 

 

10 minutes ago, EvieMN said:

Have you had chicken pox as a kid? You might not need to get the varicella shot.

My point was don't get any vaccinations on your own accord.

Go see the civil surgeon. If he says you need vaccination X, let them know you'll be getting it elsewhere with insurance and you will show them proof of getting it so they can put it in your form.

@EvieMN: I have not had Chicken Pox as a kid. Mentioned in my original post. Additionally, what I probably missed out in mentioning in my Original Post: The Civil Surgeons are quoting ~$200 for just an initial consultation visit, and then depending on the vaccinations required, they charge me extra. Not to mention that every other consultation visit they charge you another charge, which just keeps adding on...

[EvieMN 105]

1 minute ago, bombayburpster said:

 

@EvieMN: I have not had Chicken Pox as a kid. Mentioned in my original post. Additionally, what I probably missed out in mentioning in my Original Post: The Civil Surgeons are quoting ~$200 for just an initial consultation visit, and then depending on the vaccinations required, they charge me extra. Not to mention that every other consultation visit they charge you another charge, which just keeps adding on...

Unfortunately they can charge as much as they want as there isn't a uniform fee.

Believe me, I don't wanna pay ~$500 or even more as I'd gladly use those money for a ticket home but we just gotta do it.

[Leo7777 243]

20 hours ago, bombayburpster said:

Tagging more VJers - @Abhi88 @adityaag

Hi Bombay.

Not sure what will happen in your area, but when my wife had to do this for AOS filing, we went to Doctor who worked at Student Health for our local University.  She was on the Civil Surgeon list, probably because so many foreign students needed such a person.  And she would see those who were not current students.  Her charge was only $100, and $20 or so for one vaccination.  They didn't have one required vaccine, so she told us we could  go to County Health Department for that vaccine as they had cheap prices also.  Something like $20 again.