AOS Medical - Vaccines - SOS HELP!!!

[Taylor M 1]

My husband had his medical done in Jamaica, he has received some vaccines but is in need of more. He was told at his medical exam before coming to the U.S. on a K1 that he could receive the remaining vaccines in the U.S., which he chose to do. Now, we are finding that the approved civil surgeons in our area (Jacksonville FL) will not administer the vaccines without making him undergo ANOTHER medical exam. The cost of the vaccines is anywhere between $500-800, is there anywhere we can receive JUST the vaccines and not have to pay an additional $300-$400 for another medical exam?! This seems so excessive, and I am shocked at the cost of the vaccines. 

[Boiler 45,585]

Some Civil Surgeons will just do the I 693, you need to call around.

 

And yes usually better to get everything done in your home country

[Taylor M 1]

@boiler - thank you so much..I have called about 6 places and unfortunately they are all saying the same thing so I am thinking it's just not possible to get vaccines only, and we will be forced to re-do the medical. It's super unfortunate we weren't aware of this at the time of the first medical exam. Had we of known, we would have gotten all the required vaccines at that time (sigh), just another bump in the immigration road!!!! 

[milimelo 4,487]

That's insane. If he wants vaccine, your local department of health will give them for low cost or free for most. Edited to add - just get the paperwork of what he's received to satisfy the civil surgeon requirement. 

Edited October 2 by milimelo

[OldUser 6,774]

8 minutes ago, milimelo said:

That's insane. If he wants vaccine, your local department of health will give them for low cost or free for most. Edited to add - just get the paperwork of what he's received to satisfy the civil surgeon requirement. 

This is pretty normal. Typically civil surgeon will perform a new exam instead of completing form started by other civil surgeon.

 

This subject keeps popping on VJ all the time, yet nobody seems to take it seriously...

As @Boiler mentioned, best time to get exam completed is overseas.

Edited October 2 by OldUser

[Taylor M 1]

@milimelo tell me about it! You won't believe this - I checked the price listing on the Dept of Health website, $480 total for the vaccines through them. We do have the DS-3025 copy from Jamaica where the original exam was performed, but unfortunately it does not include all of the required vaccines for here in the U.S. He does not have MMR, TDAP, or Hep B vaccines. If you are going through the K1 process currently, learn from this and have your significant other complete any vaccines at the time of the original medical exam if given the option to complete vaccines at a later date - don't do it!!! Another money pit 😶

[Taylor M 1]

@OldUser I honestly just created my account today, and have never actually used this forum. I wish I had - surely would have saved us a bunch of $!!! 

[M plus D 57]

9 hours ago, Taylor M said:

My husband had his medical done in Jamaica, he has received some vaccines but is in need of more. He was told at his medical exam before coming to the U.S. on a K1 that he could receive the remaining vaccines in the U.S., which he chose to do. Now, we are finding that the approved civil surgeons in our area (Jacksonville FL) will not administer the vaccines without making him undergo ANOTHER medical exam. The cost of the vaccines is anywhere between $500-800, is there anywhere we can receive JUST the vaccines and not have to pay an additional $300-$400 for another medical exam?! This seems so excessive, and I am shocked at the cost of the vaccines. 

You mention that your husband received some vaccines, but it is not clear to me what that means. Did he receive all vaccines he was able to get for the medical exam but was medically not allowed to get them all? Or did he specifically skip vaccinations that he could've gotten at the medical exam? When a physician recommends a patient to finish the shots in the US, this could be because of two very different situations. See below:

 

Situation A: No new medical required

Sometimes, it is possible to start some vaccination series, but it cannot be immediately completed. This is because there has to be a specific period of time between the shots. The physician will then instruct the patient to complete the series once in the US. But that doesn't mean they need to do another medical once it is completed. They will simply mark it as completed and trust in good faith that the patient will finish the series themselves. You would not need to get a new medical exam.

 

Situation B: New medical required

However, if your husband rejected some shots that were required and offered at the medical exam, then they will not have completed the vaccination requirements. They will then have to re-do the vaccination portion of the i-693, as you've already concluded. 

 

This basically al depends on whether you DS-3025 is marked as completed or not. If it is, no new medical required.

 

Perhaps I am rambling on about things you already know, and I apologise if you do, but the subtle difference can save you a lot of money. If you do need a new medical, however, it can indeed be cumbersome to find a Civil Surgeon who will do only the vaccination portion. Luckily, there is a thread on VJ where people have tried to list those who do offer that. Perhaps you can find one nearby you in it:

 

[Taylor M 1]

@M plus D I really appreciate your response, this process can be confusing! Unfortunately we are in scenario B. My husband declined receiving vaccines in Jamaica because he (I did as well) thought they would be cheaper/more accessible here. Boy were we wrong! Unfortunately the civil surgeon in Jamaica did not inform him that he would need another medical exam if he didn’t complete the vaccine requirements (if they knew that information, who knows). I will check out that post you tagged, and hope we can find a civil surgeon that won’t give us a hassle, this process is hard enough! Again - truly appreciate your comment and tagging the post for me!! 

[Nous Eb 128]

This is a big issue imo. You do not need the vaccines for the K1, they should just have you do the full medical in the US when you adjust status if CS's here refuse to just do the vaccines when you have already been checked. I called here to have a CS check the box that I was not getting vaccines and would file a waiver and even for that they wanted to redo the whole medical I JUST HAD. I then decided to just file the waiver right away instead of I-693 with my AOS package. What is the use of a civil surgeon in your home country approved for your visa by the USA (mine was an American doctor) if they don't seem to trust their colleagues here at all? I do not take any vaccines, but those who do want to take vaccines might not have enough time in between to take all the vaccines needed for the complete DS-3025. It's completely ridiculous that CS's here make them redo their full medical. They know you will have to do it because you don't wanna have to leave the US. So it's a money grab in my opinion.

That said, I did read that there are civil surgeons who will complete it, but if you have to take a plane to get there or spend hundreds of dollars in gas you might as well have the whole thing again. 

[Boiler 45,585]

I think I was missing one vaccination, had it done at my local surgery, for free.

 

my understanding is that is normal.

[SL2024 70]

I thought it was easier just to get the vaccinations in my country and get everything completed here before travelling over to the USA and getting them done there as I had seen a few posts regarding this and it does seem unfair that they want to charge you for a new medical exam.

 

 

 

Edited October 3 by SL2024

[OldUser 6,774]

On 10/3/2024 at 4:38 AM, SL2024 said:

I thought it was easier just to get the vaccinations in my country and get everything completed here before travelling over to the USA and getting them done there as I had seen a few posts regarding this and it does seem unfair that they want to charge you for a new medical exam.

 

 

 

Yes you can complete everything back in your country. If you get all vaccines your medical exam will be marked completed and you shouldn't have to do it again in the US typically.

Or do everything in the US.

 

Just don't do partial exam back home (not completing vaccines). It won't help as you likely would need another exam in the US.

Edited October 4 by OldUser

[SL2024 70]

19 minutes ago, OldUser said:

Yes you can complete everything back in your country. If you get all vaccines your medical exam will be marked completed and you shouldn't have to do it again in the US typically.

Or do everything in the US.

 

Just don't do partial exam back home (not completing vaccines). It won't help as you likely would need another exam in the US.

I have already had my medical and the vaccinations required. It seems I didn’t word my previous post to that effect looking at it now 

Edited October 4 by SL2024

[SL2024 70]

22 hours ago, OldUser said:

Yes you can complete everything back in your country. If you get all vaccines your medical exam will be marked completed and you shouldn't have to do it again in the US typically.

Or do everything in the US.

 

Just don't do partial exam back home (not completing vaccines). It won't help as you likely would need another exam in the US.

 

Although I did read somewhere that if you file the AOS more than a year after your medical then you have to do a new medical but I'm not sure if that is correct or not? Of course we will be filing the AOS as soon as we can. It isn't something that we want to delay.