Vaccines

[seekingthetruth 1,246]

For U.S. immigrants from the Philippines, does anyone have a current reference for the required mandatory vaccines? I had touched on this in another topic, and someone said don't worry, St. Lukes will give everything that is needed.

 

I don't think my wife has any vaccine records (family home burned down when she was young) and my step-daughter has a few.  I found this list on an older post and I don't know if it is still accurate.  If it is accurate and current, my wife and step-daughter would probably need many jabs.  Especially my step-daughter, who will still be 17.

 

Surely if all these are needed St. Lukes will not provide them all for free, and I don't think it is wise to take too many vaccines at the same time???

 

 

[Chancy 6,241]

16 minutes ago, seekingthetruth said:

Surely if all these are needed St. Lukes will not provide them all for free, and I don't think it is wise to take too many vaccines at the same time???

 

SLEC will provide all required vaccinations for "free".  In quotes because I figure the cost of the vaccines is already covered by the 17k (or 9k for kids) medical fee.

 

When I went for my medical I saw a few adult applicants with 2 cotton buds stuck to their arm.  I suppose they had 2 vaccine shots that day.

 

[Adventine 3,196]

My experience is slightly different as I did my medical in the US and had my vaccines just last week. Your screenshot lists the same vaccines as the form I used (I-693).

 

Here's my experience so that your wife and stepdaughter have a better idea what to expect, in terms of vaccines.

 

I also lost my childhood vaccine records but retained all from my adult years (Hepatitis B, polio, last year's flu shot, this year's COVID shot).

 

I sent my medical records to the civil surgeon (USCIS equivalent of the Dept of State panel physician) and they told me to get three more shots: MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), TDAP (tetanus, diptheria, pertussis) and Varicella (chickenpox). So I was vaccinated for seven different diseases on the same day. 😂

 

I had a little arm soreness, but otherwise I had no side effects. It was funny walking around with three different band-aids on my arms.

 

After looking through all my medical records, and a short interview, the doctor marked the rest of the vaccines as "not age-appropriate" on the form.

 

In short, I don't think you have anything to worry about with having multiple vaccines done simultaneously.

[top_secret 2,421]

I'm wondering about this one my self.  I've seen some YouTube videos of girls coming out of SLEC with cotton balls taped to their upper arms, 2 on the left and 2 on the right.  But I also noticed allot of the visas containing a notation some vaccines are waived.  I assume they do a number of the vaccines, but not all, and waive there rest.  I'll be interested when someone comes along who knows the answer.  I'm also wondering if it is all my step-daughter would need for school in California, or is there a whole next chapter to the story on arrival in the US.  I highly doubt either one of them ever had any vaccination for anything in their lives. In general I'm a big proponent of vaccines.  Vaccines along with antibiotics have to rank up there as some of the greatest wonders of modern medicine that have prevented untold suffering in the modern age.  But I could see how catching up on a lifetime of missed shot in one afternoon may be problematic.

[mc962 55]

29 minutes ago, top_secret said:

But I could see how catching up on a lifetime of missed shot in one afternoon may be problematic.

They're likely exposed to more kinds of stuff on the way to and inside the hospital than what they give you from a handful of vaccines.

 

(I am not a/your doctor, and not counting specific side-effects/allergies unique to the person getting vaccinated vs. the general reaction of most of the population that gets them. Maybe it's worth chatting with the country's equivalent of Primary Care Provider, if they have one and you are still concerned.)

• https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/multiple-vaccines-immunity.html - U.S. CDC
• https://vk.ovg.ox.ac.uk/vk/combination-vaccines-and-multiple-vaccinations - University of Oxford

 

[top_secret 2,421]

1 minute ago, mc962 said:

They're likely exposed to more kinds of stuff on the way to and inside the hospital than what they give you from a handful of vaccines.

Vaccinated Philippines style.  Let the kids go out to play in the neighborhood.  They return home having superhuman immune systems.

[mc962 55]

As a personal anecdote: I believe I got 3 (first dose at least, and it was a few years ago so it might have been 2) on the same day at my local U.S. Travel Clinic before I went to Vietnam for the first time, with no side effects aside from the expected arm soreness. 🤷‍♂️

[seekingthetruth 1,246]

Thanks everyone!  Great info!

52 minutes ago, Chancy said:

SLEC will provide all required vaccinations for "free".  In quotes because I figure the cost of the vaccines is already covered by the 17k (or 9k for kids) medical fee.

Ok, I will prepare them for "jab day"!

52 minutes ago, Adventine said:

Here's my experience so that your wife and stepdaughter have a better idea what to expect, in terms of vaccines.

 

I also lost my childhood vaccine records but retained all from my adult years (Hepatitis B, polio, last year's flu shot, this year's COVID shot).

Thanks for the great detail!  I hope we can find some of the records to reduce the jabs.  I see the annual flu shot listed.  Is that mandatory?  I think I have gotten the annual flu shot 5-6 times in my life and at least half the time I immediately got the flu!

20 minutes ago, mc962 said:

They're likely exposed to more kinds of stuff on the way to and inside the hospital than what they give you from a handful of vaccines.

 

(I am not a/your doctor, and not counting specific side-effects/allergies unique to the person getting vaccinated vs. the general reaction of most of the population that gets them. Maybe it's worth chatting with the country's equivalent of Primary Care Provider, if they have one and you are still concerned.)

• https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/multiple-vaccines-immunity.html - U.S. CDC
• https://vk.ovg.ox.ac.uk/vk/combination-vaccines-and-multiple-vaccinations - University of Oxford

Thanks for the links and it seems multiple on same day is a good thing!

13 minutes ago, mc962 said:

As a personal anecdote: I believe I got 3 (first dose at least, and it was a few years ago so it might have been 2) on the same day at my local U.S. Travel Clinic before I went to Vietnam for the first time, with no side effects aside from the expected arm soreness. 🤷‍♂️

I also went to a travel clinic before I went to the Philippines, and have those records.  I know there was one that needed 1 or 2 followup jabs, but I never got them.

Edited July 25, 2021 by seekingthetruth

[Adventine 3,196]

6 minutes ago, seekingthetruth said:

Thanks for the great detail!  I hope we can find some of the records to reduce the jabs.  I see the annual flu shot listed.  Is that mandatory?  I think I have gotten the annual flu shot 5-6 times in my life and at least half the time I immediately got the flu!

 

 

Welcome, I'm glad it puts you more at ease. Flu shots are only mandatory during the annual US flu season from Oct-Mar. I expect SLEC will apply the same criteria to your family.

 

[HRQX 4,145]

12 minutes ago, Adventine said:

I expect SLEC will apply the same criteria to your family.

It can be different for Panel Physician exams. That is why the chart in the first post says "annually when flu vaccine is available in country of exam" https://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/panel-physicians/vaccinations.html

 

I.e. the specific months may differ

Edited July 25, 2021 by HRQX

[Adventine 3,196]

3 minutes ago, HRQX said:

It can be different for Panel Physician exams. That is why the chart in the first post says "annually when flu vaccine is available in country of exam" https://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/panel-physicians/vaccinations.html

 

I confirm, the flu shot is available in the Philippines where OP and family are located. I had mine done there in 2020, for reasons not related to immigration.

Edited July 25, 2021 by Adventine

[seekingthetruth 1,246]

19 minutes ago, Adventine said:

 

I confirm, the flu shot is available in the Philippines where OP and family are located. I had mine done there in 2020, for reasons not related to immigration.

Yes, but that is dependent on the time of year.  Hopefully they will have the medical Q1 2022, and I don't think the seasonal flu shot will be out that early.

 

We got the kids flu shots or asked about flu shots a few times here, and their pediatrician would tell us he won't have the new one until X date.  Flue season here is June - Nov so I think they recommend it in Apr-May or when the new one comes out.

[flicks1998 1,044]

4 minutes ago, seekingthetruth said:

Yes, but that is dependent on the time of year.  Hopefully they will have the medical Q1 2022, and I don't think the seasonal flu shot will be out that early.

 

We got the kids flu shots or asked about flu shots a few times here, and their pediatrician would tell us he won't have the new one until X date.  Flue season here is June - Nov so I think they recommend it in Apr-May or when the new one comes out.

This is correct. It’s always best to time the flu shot to be a few months before flu season where you will be living. This is because the formula is constantly changing.  Take a flu shot at SLEC in April, then move to the US and by the time flu season comes you don’t have the latest formula for that season. 
 

 

[seekingthetruth 1,246]

I just tallied it up using the age based list I posted about.  My 17 year old step-daughter would need 6 vacs + seasonal flu if we don't have the records.  My wife would need 3 + seasonal flu.  I hope my wife has some records for my step-daughter.

[mc962 55]

Sometimes I think they can also do a Titer Test to see if you've been vaccinated for stuff before (for some things at least), depending on what is offered there.

 

https://www.expresslabidaho.com/physician-resources/immunization-titer-tests/