Pertussis vaccine unavailable in UK for men

[FolieADeux 2]

Part of the list of required vaccines for my fiance in the UK is a Pertussis. Unfortunately he can't find anyone who is willing to give it to him because the doctors offices are insisting they are only available for children and pregnant women.
I don't understand why the embassy would require this when it's not even available for men. Does anyone have any advice or a personal experience with this situation? We have everything else we need done before the interview, this is the only thing left.

 

Thank you!

[Lemonslice 4,836]

1 hour ago, FolieADeux said:

Part of the list of required vaccines for my fiance in the UK is a Pertussis. Unfortunately he can't find anyone who is willing to give it to him because the doctors offices are insisting they are only available for children and pregnant women.
I don't understand why the embassy would require this when it's not even available for men. Does anyone have any advice or a personal experience with this situation? We have everything else we need done before the interview, this is the only thing left.

 

Thank you!

Did the doctor tell him it was required for him during the medical exam?  Required vaccines are different depending on age/prior immunizations received.

[FolieADeux 2]

8 minutes ago, Lemonslice said:

Did the doctor tell him it was required for him during the medical exam?  Required vaccines are different depending on age/prior immunizations received.

yes, he received a list of required vaccinations.

[yuna628 9,671]

Hi as was posted long ago in this thread:

 

Its a little out of date now but some info still applies. 

 

Quote

• 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.

What fiancé needs to get is a Td or Tdap to be covered. Make sure you have a record of receiving it along with anything else required. If you'd really like him to get a pertussis vaccine, that can be done stateside, just for his own health, but Knightbridge will be good with Td or Tdap. If you have not received the required vaccines before going to Knightbridge or do not intend to receive the vaccines at Knightsbridge appointment, then everything you get afterwards will have to be recertified by a US civil surgeon when you file AOS after marriage.

Edited April 9 by yuna628

[FolieADeux 2]

7 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

Hi as was posted long ago in this thread:

 

Its a little out of date now but some info still applies. 

 

What fiancé needs to get is a Td or Tdap to be covered. Make sure you have a record of receiving it along with anything else required. If you'd really like him to get a pertussis vaccine, that can be done stateside, just for his own health, but Knightbridge will be good with Td or Tdap. If you have not received the required vaccines before going to Knightbridge or do not intend to receive the vaccines at Knightsbridge appointment, then everything you get afterwards will have to be recertified by a US civil surgeon when you file AOS after marriage.

DTAP and TDAP are not the same thing. The P in one stands for pertussis and Polio in the other one. The one he got is DTAP which includes Polio, so he still needs Pertussis since it is required. The list doesn't say dtap OR tdap... it clearly spells out Pertussis. This is why I am so concerned because no one wants to give it to him.

I'm wondering if he tells them he will get it stateside that will be sufficient since he can't seem to get it over there.

 

Thoughts?

[appleblossom 2,479]

Has he actually had his medical yet? Any missing vaccines can be given there, we each had a couple given to us last summer when we had ours (different ones for each of us). 

 

 

Edited April 9 by appleblossom

[appleblossom 2,479]

25 minutes ago, FolieADeux said:

DTAP and TDAP are not the same thing. The P in one stands for pertussis and Polio in the other one. The one he got is DTAP which includes Polio, so he still needs Pertussis since it is required.

 

The P in DTAP is Pertussis, not Polio. https://www.aboutwhoopingcough.com/tdap-vaccine/tdap-and-dtap/#:~:text=What is the difference between,for infants and young children and https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/dtap-tdap-td/public/index.html

 

They're given routinely in the UK so he should have had it as a child (all 4 of us had had it, ranging in age from early teens to mid fifties). 

https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/immunisation/vaccines/the-4-in-1-vaccine

 

But if he's unsure then he can check with his doctor, or if he hasn't actually had his medical yet (I assume not) then he can phone and ask them to double check. 

 

Good luck. 

Edited April 9 by appleblossom

[smilingstone 168]

21 minutes ago, appleblossom said:

They're given routinely in the UK so he should have had it as a child (all 4 of us had had it, ranging in age from early teens to mid fifties). 

https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/immunisation/vaccines/the-4-in-1-vaccine

 

On the topic of this, I received a copy of my vaccination record from my GP surgery yesterday. Many of them were in my childhood, but the guidance says that shots can't be more than 10 years old or a booster is needed. I could be wrong but to me it reads like your vaccination history won't matter to them if they were all childhood - you would require boosters for everything?

[FolieADeux 2]

29 minutes ago, appleblossom said:

 

The P in DTAP is Pertussis, not Polio. https://www.aboutwhoopingcough.com/tdap-vaccine/tdap-and-dtap/#:~:text=What is the difference between,for infants and young children and https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/dtap-tdap-td/public/index.html

 

They're given routinely in the UK so he should have had it as a child (all 4 of us had had it, ranging in age from early teens to mid fifties). 

https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/immunisation/vaccines/the-4-in-1-vaccine

 

But if he's unsure then he can check with his doctor, or if he hasn't actually had his medical yet (I assume not) then he can phone and ask them to double check. 

 

Good luck. 

he didn’t have it as a child.

he needs it now.

[appleblossom 2,479]

5 minutes ago, FolieADeux said:

he didn’t have it as a child.

he needs it now.

 

Odd, but if it's not available to adults then it's not available. Same as the varicella vaccine which is required for US immigration, but which is waived for UK applicants, as we can't get it there. 

 

Just give them a call and ask, they're super helpful and they'll be able to tell him if they'll mark it as 'not routinely available' of it it will be an issue and he'll need a waiver.

 

 

Edited April 9 by appleblossom

[yuna628 9,671]

Knightsbridge will give out the required vaccination if you are willing to pay for it. If you do not, you can get it stateside at any doctor or pharmacy, keep receipt of it, and get your vaccines all recertified at US civil surgeon. However as Nik had originally stated, TD, Tdap, DTP, OR DtaP all get accepted too. My husband sure as heck didn't chase down a doctor and argue the finer points of pertussis  - he just got a Tdap. No one had an issue about that. DTP from Knightsbridge runs about £70 I think. https://visamedicals.co.uk/united-states/

 

Also check this post from 2022

 

 

Edited April 9 by yuna628

[yuna628 9,671]

1 hour ago, appleblossom said:

 

Odd, but if it's not available to adults then it's not available. Same as the varicella vaccine which is required for US immigration, but which is waived for UK applicants, as we can't get it there. 

 

Just give them a call and ask, they're super helpful and they'll be able to tell him if they'll mark it as 'not routinely available' of it it will be an issue and he'll need a waiver.

 

 

Adults, unless you are female, don't get a straight whooping cough vaccine in the UK. But anyone can get the accepted vaccine of DTP, Tdap, DtaP, or TD. If doctor is being a pain about it, Knightsbridge will be more than happy with $$s.

[appleblossom 2,479]

1 minute ago, yuna628 said:

Adults, unless you are female, don't get a straight whooping cough vaccine in the UK. But anyone can get the accepted vaccine of DTP, Tdap, DtaP, or TD. If doctor is being a pain about it, Knightsbridge will be more than happy with $$s.

 

Yep, I had the TD at my medical, as my last tetanus shot was more than 10 years previously. No idea on the ones with Pertussis though as we all had them as children so didn't need to have them again. 

 

But Knightsbridge will do any that are missing, and if they can't do them, they'll mark them as not available. Will cost more doing it that way but I suspect it'll be easier in the long run as Visa Medicals will know what is and what isn't required. 

[SalishSea 17,818]

10 hours ago, FolieADeux said:

The P in one stands for pertussis and Polio in the other one.

This is absolutely NOT correct.  Polio is an entirely separate vaccine that is not ever combined with other vaccines.  The P in both of these is pertussis.

 

Very much doubt you will find a single agent pertussis vaccine either in the US or UK.  It is combined with the other vaccines into DtaP or TDaP, and typically given to adults in the US every 10 years as a tetanus booster, even though it provides protection against diphtheria and pertussis as well.

 

Source:  RN x 24 years.

Edited April 10 by SalishSea

[milimelo 4,477]

2 hours ago, SalishSea said:

This is absolutely NOT correct.  Polio is an entirely separate vaccine that is not ever combined with other vaccines.  The P in both of these is pertussis.

 

Very much doubt you will find a single agent pertussis vaccine either in the US or UK.  It is combined with the other vaccines into DtaP or TDaP, and typically given to adults in the US every 10 years as a tetanus booster, even though it provides protection against diphtheria and pertussis as well.

 

Source:  RN x 24 years.

Look up 6-in-1 vaccine for infants on NHS - includes polio. Not saying it's right to bundle all in one, but they have done it.