K1 AOS without TD vaccine?

[garya505 2]

Here's our situation. We about to apply for AOS on a K1. We have the DS-3025 which indicates the TD vaccine was not given because it's not available in the Philippines. I found a Civil Surgeon who will do the TD vaccine and the I-693A. My wife is pregnant (yeah!) and in her the first trimester. Although most of the medical community believes that the TD vaccine is safe during pregnancy, the CDC suggests waiting until the second trimester to give the TD to avoid any possible problems (all theoretical of course), so we're going to take the safe route and delay the TD until her second trimester. It's just not worth the risk, however small, so we're not going to take any chances.

We have an appointment to submit the AOS docs on 5/22 (Albuquerque USCIS requires docs submitted in person). We have the DS-3025 which shows that the TD vaccine was not given. I can also give them a letter explaining that my wife is in her first trimester we are waiting until the second trimester to get the TD vaccine. I don't really know if the I-693A is required an the time the AOS docs are submitted, or can be provided at the interview (hmmm, is there an interview for a K1 AOS?).

So, I suspect they will either approve the AOS with the DS-3025 and my letter of explaination about the TD vaccine, or they will give us an RFE for the missing TD vaccine and I-693A. If they give us an RFE, in 7 weeks we will be in the second trimester and we will get the TD vaccine and get the I-693A.

Any suggestions or comments?

If you get an RFE on a K1 AOS, how long do you have to submit the requested docs?

[Dr_LHA 3]

What is "TD"? Tetanus?

Edited May 16, 2007 by Dr_LHA

[margalow8 0]

What is "TD"? Tetanus?

Tetanus-Diphtheria

[john_and_marlene 162]

The civil surgeon can complete an I-693a and annotate it that TD was not given due to pregnancy. You will need the I-693a.

[StormnRolly 0]

In medical abbreviations Td is just Tetnus (no diptheria like previous poster stated). Just a note the CS is not required to give the vaccinations you can go to your family doctor to have this done if it would be cheaper.

Persons not required to have a medical examination.

--

Fiancé(e)s.

If you are a K-1 fiancé(e) or K-2 dependent who hada medical examination within the past year asrequired for the nonimmigrant fiancé(e) visa, youonly need to submit a vaccination supplement, not theentire medical report. You MAY include thevaccination supplement with your adjustment ofstatus application.

http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-485.pdf

Some people do not turn in the I-693A and have no issues. You can chance getting an RFE... as far as I know you can take as long as you want to return the requested evidence... but I haven't seen one so can't say for sure. Just that it will delay your processing as long as they don't have what they need. You will need it for your interview if you have one though. Often it takes at least 6 weeks to get your interview.

Good luck,

Kristina

Edited May 16, 2007 by StormnRolly

[garya505 2]

The civil surgeon can complete an I-693a and annotate it that TD was not given due to pregnancy. You will need the I-693a.

The civil surgeon's office I talked to said they consider the TD "safe" during pregnancy and would normally give it. However, they also said they would annotate the I-693A to say that TD was not given due to pregnancy, if we can get her OBGYN to give us a note recommending waiting until the second trimester for the TD vaccine. So, that's one way we can go about it, if the OBGYN agrees that the TD vaccine should be delayed (we haven't asked yet). Right now it's just us (and the CDC recommendation) saying that the TD vaccine should be delayed until the second trimester due to the theroetical possibility of the tetanus or diptheria toxiods being teratogenic. So, it's a matter of opinion, and where our baby's health is at stake, our opinion rules.

As the CDC states at http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/preg_guide.htm:

"Although no evidence exists that tetanus and diphtheria toxoids are teratogenic, waiting until the second trimester of pregnancy to administer Td is a reasonable precaution for minimizing any concern about the theoretical possibility of such reactions."

[kim&james 0]

In medical abbreviations Td is just Tetnus (no diptheria like previous poster stated).

TD is Tetnus Diptheria. A combination vaccine.

http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/vis/vis-td.pdf

[margalow8 0]

In medical abbreviations Td is just Tetnus (no diptheria like previous poster stated).

TD is Tetnus Diptheria. A combination vaccine.

http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/vis/vis-td.pdf

= this is exactly what the cs gave after my Tetanus-Diphtheria Shot done

[garya505 2]

Just an update. We asked my wife's OB-GYN for a note recommending delay of the TD vaccine until 2nd or 3rd trimester. The doc said she doesn't ever give TD during any stage of pregnancy. She gave us a note for the CS but the note said that Florenda "may delay the TD vaccine", not "should delay the vaccine", so I don't know if that will fly with the CS. We have heard of a few cases where people submit for AOS without the I-693 (only the DS-3025) and get their AOS approved with no questions, so maybe we'll just submit it like that.

Oh, and we got to hear the heartbeat of our baby with the doppler heartbeat monitor. Now THAT was COOL.

[Karly-n-Bruce 0]

We have an appointment to submit the AOS docs on 5/22 (Albuquerque USCIS requires docs submitted in person).

Why are you submitting them to the office in Albuquerque? Family based AOS (you fit in there cause you're K-1) are supposed to send the application to the Chicago Lockbox.

Am I missing something?

[Kez/JWolf 6]

Yes you are missing something..... the OP comes from Texas and can take part in the DORA program.... they file at their local office not Chicago....

Kez

[misa 2]

Just an update. We asked my wife's OB-GYN for a note recommending delay of the TD vaccine until 2nd or 3rd trimester. The doc said she doesn't ever give TD during any stage of pregnancy. She gave us a note for the CS but the note said that Florenda "may delay the TD vaccine", not "should delay the vaccine", so I don't know if that will fly with the CS. We have heard of a few cases where people submit for AOS without the I-693 (only the DS-3025) and get their AOS approved with no questions, so maybe we'll just submit it like that.

Oh, and we got to hear the heartbeat of our baby with the doppler heartbeat monitor. Now THAT was COOL.

If the "may delay" isn't good enough perhaps you could go back and get her to rephrase to "should delay".

[Dr_LHA 3]

Yes you are missing something..... the OP comes from Texas and can take part in the DORA program.... they file at their local office not Chicago....

Last time I looked Albuquerque was in New Mexico, not Texas.

[Karly-n-Bruce 0]

Yes you are missing something..... the OP comes from Texas and can take part in the DORA program.... they file at their local office not Chicago....

Kez

I know about the exception for certain areas and my geography sucks, but last time I checked, Albuquerque (where the OP says he's submitting his application) is in New Mexico, not Texas. I did a search for the local offices for New Mexico on USCIS's website and there's one in Albuquerque, New Mexico (I'm assuming that's the OP's local office seeing as that's where the application will be filed), and one in El Paso, Texas (one that is an exception to the Chicago Lockbox rule).

[vsmtghdy 2]

Just an update. We asked my wife's OB-GYN for a note recommending delay of the TD vaccine until 2nd or 3rd trimester. The doc said she doesn't ever give TD during any stage of pregnancy. She gave us a note for the CS but the note said that Florenda "may delay the TD vaccine", not "should delay the vaccine", so I don't know if that will fly with the CS. We have heard of a few cases where people submit for AOS without the I-693 (only the DS-3025) and get their AOS approved with no questions, so maybe we'll just submit it like that.

Oh, and we got to hear the heartbeat of our baby with the doppler heartbeat monitor. Now THAT was COOL.

First of all, CONGRATS on your baby! Hearing heartbeat on Doppler, that means your baby is more than 4 weeks AOG (because that is when baby's heart starts to pump- 4 wks AOG). TD/Td is safe for pregnant mothers. OB-Gyne in the Philippines would even give Tetanus prophylaxis (Tetanus Toxoid) on pregnant mothers on the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy (2 doses prior to giving birth) to prevent "tetanus Neonatorum" (for baby's protection) and also for the mother's protection. TD/Td is a booster dose that is given every 10 years (if patient have not been given active immunization of tetanus/diphtheria in the past 5 years)... but this is usually safe for both the pregnant mother and the baby.

A supplement vaccination form with remarks that states that TD vaccine was not given or will be delayed due to pregnancy should suffice. Good luck to both of you and congrats again!