London Medical - Knightsbridge Doctors

[Lewis F 2]

It will likely be less expensive to get your GP to do the vaccinations than waiting to do them in the U.S. But it's not a requirement of the K-1 to have the vaccinations to receive the visa.

Thanks for the response, i think i will make sure to see my GP, makes sense to save a bit of money

[RichF 13]

With regards to the Pneumoccocal Vaccination.

Is this required for a person under 65?

Found this table that identifies required vaccinations but not sure if its to be used as its not official from the UCIS etc

http://www.allianceoccmed.com/Files/INS_Vaccine_Requirements_Table.pdf

[mindthegap 2,590]

Had my medical on monday.

Relatively painless, except for a)paying, and b) the state my arm has been left in after taking blood. Very bruised (about 8" long x 2" wide) and sore. I normally bruise when having blood taken but this is next level stuff, and my arm currently looks like a heroin addicts.

Thankfully I only needed a flu shot at the medical which was only £22.

I managed to get MMR stage one and tetanus/polio/diptheria at my regular NHS doctors at no charge a couple of weeks ago, so am thankful for that. NHS dr wouldn't give me a flu shot-even when i offered to pay for it- and told me to go to boots instead!

Certain aspects of the NHS will not be missed.....

Total time spent including waiting was about 1hr.

Edited November 21, 2012 by mindthegap

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

With regards to the Pneumoccocal Vaccination.

Is this required for a person under 65?

Found this table that identifies required vaccinations but not sure if its to be used as its not official from the UCIS etc

http://www.allianceoccmed.com/Files/INS_Vaccine_Requirements_Table.pdf

That link was blocked as a phishing site so can't view it. Here's the CDC list for immigrants. http://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/exams/ti/panel/vaccination-panel-technical-instructions.html#tbl1

You can scroll up from there and read great detail about immunizations if you're interested.. It is the latest version of Technical Instructions for vaccinations. (2009)

[mrettercap 24]

Medical tomorrow. Aaahhh!

[mrettercap 24]

So, thought I'd post a little review for those nervously anticipating the medical, since I was super nervous:

First things first, arrived about 2 hours early but went to the wrong place. I ended up in Knightsbridge, but it is in fact Bentinck Mansions. Realized just in time and made it to Bentinck with a few minutes to spare.

There's heavy construction going on all over the place right now, but they have a helpful cardboard sign out front with BENTINCK MANSIONS sharpied on.

Press the bell for Flat 4 and wait to be buzzed in, then walk into the surgery.

The people at the desk aren't terribly friendly. They aren't unfriendly, they're just all business.

I waited in the waiting room for a good half an hour before a lovely Eastern European(?) nurse called me into the off room. She went through my vaccination history and advised me that I needed a flu jab, which I opted to get now rather than later. After a brief chat, she put me back in the waiting room where, after a few minutes of downtime, the radiographer called me into her room.

After a few preliminary questions, she made me stand against a lead plate, hold a lead skirt-thing around my waist, and take a deep breath. The X-Ray machine looked like something from the '50s, but clearly it still works. Now that's what I call looking inside yourself.

Another ten or fifteen minutes in the waiting room until I got called in by the doctor. I had a lovely female doctor (they all seemed to be female, actually) with brown hair. She was very talkative and put me at ease instantly. The whole medical consisted of:

• Taking weight
  
• Taking height
  
• Blood pressure
  
• Eye test
  
• Shining light in the eyes
  
• Looking in ears
  
• Looking in mouth
  

Then, she had me strip to my boxers behind a screen and lay down on the bed. She pressed on my stomach/chest a bit, took my pulse from various locations (wrists, feet, back of knee) and manipulated my knee/hip to check mobility. She told me about the dangers of testicular cancer and asked me if I wanted her to have a look, but after some thought I declined(!)

She didn't 'take a peek' or cop a feel or anything, which I was expecting from reading the previous posts.

After getting dressed again, she took some blood (over in 10 seconds, painless) and off I went to the waiting room again until reception were ready to take my money and give me back my passport and other documents.

All in all, I was there for about 90 minutes. The whole process was painless -- nothing to worry about at all -- and the staff were all super nice. I did see a severe-looking blonde doctor wandering around and hoped I didn't get her though!

Oh, a note about parking -- there is a QPark on Harley Street which is about 5 minutes walk, but I opted to just pay at the meter on Harley St. itself. If you can find a space, it's not that bad for London. I paid £8 for about 2 hours worth.

Edited November 29, 2012 by mrettercap

[lynndy38 64]

Guys, should I go ahead and have a private consultation with a psych doc rather than just be told I need one at my medical....Im trying to save time. I self harned and over dosed years ago so Im pretty sure they'll want me to see someone.....my docs doing me a letter but from what Ive read that wont be enough.

Thanks for any replies

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Guys, should I go ahead and have a private consultation with a psych doc rather than just be told I need one at my medical....Im trying to save time. I self harned and over dosed years ago so Im pretty sure they'll want me to see someone.....my docs doing me a letter but from what Ive read that wont be enough.

Thanks for any replies

I wouldn't try to outguess them. Just focus on a good outcome and not the need for speed. What if they have a preferred clinic for evaluation and yours doesnt meet their needs? If your doctor writes a good letter and will say the magic words inhis opinion "you won't be harmful to yourself or others" in the future, it's likely enough. Some doctors have refused to speculate on the future, I guess for liability issues. Have you discussed this with your doctor what he will write? Ask for a copy and perhaps take a sealed copy. The person who had the private exam said it cost 750 GBP.

[MmmBlondie 8]

Flu shot is a little different because of the seasonal thing. The adjudicator's hand book details it but I'm going to give you the basic bottom line--

Indeed your DS-3025 sheet is incomplete without the flu jab during flu season. So that means a flu jab and paying a civil surgeon to fill out a new vaccination sheet. BUT if it is no longer flu season when the adjudicator picks up your AOS case to evaluate it, he is supposed to waive the flu shot by what is written in their handbook. It is similarly detailed in their handbook examples that if a shot was required but no longer required on the date of adjudication, then it doesn't have to be done. Example an 18 year old needs Hep B, but if he turns 19 by the time his AOS is up for approval, then it doesn't matter about his Hep B shot because it is no longer a requirement for him. Same with a flu jab if it is in longer flu season, it's not required.

Just time your AOS filing, so by the date the approval rolls around, it will be April 1 (flu season over) and your flu shot will no longer be required. I got a PM just recently from somebody I suggested that to and asked him to report back if he did. He reported back that he got the greencard without a flu shot, using his DS-3025, even though it was flu season when that form was signed. That's just to let you know I try to keep up with specific scenarios.

Okay, so that doesn't mean you have to wait until April 1 to mail your AOS because it's going to sit in a box a long time before anybody reviews it for approval. I haven't looked at AOS timelines lately but it's going to take months. It's not based on filing date but the date it is reviewed for approval.

Ok so I think I am asking the dumbest question ever but....how do you book your medical

I have my case number from the NVC but it hasn't been forwarded on to the consulate yet and I haven't received "packet 3".

I'm just waiting for my police certificate to arrive, then I shall be booking but I'm unsure how

Also If everything goes smoothly I'm hoping to get my interview quite soon and arrive in the US in the middle of March. I am up to date with all shots except the flu cause I was thinking it wouldn't matter if I enter the US after flu season. If we marry at the beginning of April, I am then out of flu season and just to clarify, AOS should be fine yes?

Sorry for being a dumb blonde guys

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Ok so I think I am asking the dumbest question ever but....how do you book your medical

I have my case number from the NVC but it hasn't been forwarded on to the consulate yet and I haven't received "packet 3".

I'm just waiting for my police certificate to arrive, then I shall be booking but I'm unsure how

Also If everything goes smoothly I'm hoping to get my interview quite soon and arrive in the US in the middle of March. I am up to date with all shots except the flu cause I was thinking it wouldn't matter if I enter the US after flu season. If we marry at the beginning of April, I am then out of flu season and just to clarify, AOS should be fine yes?

Sorry for being a dumb blonde guys

You ring them on the phone. Find the info onthe embassy website which you should be scouring for all the details you need right now http://london.usembassy.gov/immigrant-visas/medical-examination.html . Then if you look on the right column of that web page, there is a link for more information which brings up this document http://photos.state.gov/libraries/unitedkingdom/164203/cons-visa/iv018a_medical.pdf

It has the phone number, map, details.

There's no reason to wait on the police certificate before you call. Just book it for a couple of weeks from now when you know the certificate will have arrived.

[MmmBlondie 8]

You ring them on the phone. Find the info onthe embassy website which you should be scouring for all the details you need right now http://london.usembassy.gov/immigrant-visas/medical-examination.html . Then if you look on the right column of that web page, there is a link for more information which brings up this document http://photos.state.gov/libraries/unitedkingdom/164203/cons-visa/iv018a_medical.pdf

It has the phone number, map, details.

There's no reason to wait on the police certificate before you call. Just book it for a couple of weeks from now when you know the certificate will have arrived.

Silly me I knew i'd seen that before! Thanks Nich-Nick! I've replied back to the police certificate receipt email I was sent asking on a rough estimate of when it should arrive but I think I shall ring and book my medical today

Will my vaccinations show as incomplete when when they send my results to the embassy because of the flu even though I plan on AOS after 1st April. I don't want this to have an impact on anything so if I need to get the shot I will.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Silly me I knew i'd seen that before! Thanks Nich-Nick! I've replied back to the police certificate receipt email I was sent asking on a rough estimate of when it should arrive but I think I shall ring and book my medical today

Will my vaccinations show as incomplete when when they send my results to the embassy because of the flu even though I plan on AOS after 1st April. I don't want this to have an impact on anything so if I need to get the shot I will.

There's a lot to take in at this point so keep reviewing the website and that pinned thread for K1s.

Your vaccination sheet (DS-3025) will be marked [x] incomplete [x]may be eligible for blanket waiver

They pretty much all are because you don't get every single shot on the list, thus incomplete. You are eligible for the blanket waiver on all the shots for kids, for example, because they aren't appropriate for an adult. So the "incomplete" marking is of no consequence as long as you get the "blanket waiver" box also ticked. And you will because that's standard.

If you want to be super sure, then get the flu jab at Tesco's or similar. It doesn't matter the season you enter the US. The dates that count are your 1.)medical date and 2.) the date the AOS important dude pulls your file out of the box to give it approval (after a long time on the shelf).

If it's not flu season at either of those times, then no flu shot needed.

So for you, two examples--

1.)Medical December 2012 (flu season) but 2.)AOS final review August 2013 (not flu season) No shot needed

1.)Medical December 2012 (flu season) but 2.)AOS final review October 2013 (flu season again) Shot needed

I really don't know when you will file AOS and how long it will take. Many procrastinate filing after they get here. So you are bringing yourself closer and closer to next flu season. If you hit the double whammy of flu season for medical and flu season on final review, then they could ask you to get a flu shot. Is your AOS dude going to be a stickler?...maybe not. I doubt they would pay it that much attention, but there's ####### people in all occupations, so if your guy is super strict, then you could end up with a late RFE instead of an approval on the big day your file gets pulled from the box if it is after October 1, 2013 (the start of flu season again). The big unknown is when will your AOS case get final review.

Does that clear up your blonde head?

[MmmBlondie 8]

There's a lot to take in at this point so keep reviewing the website and that pinned thread for K1s.

Your vaccination sheet (DS-3025) will be marked [x] incomplete [x]may be eligible for blanket waiver

They pretty much all are because you don't get every single shot on the list, thus incomplete. You are eligible for the blanket waiver on all the shots for kids, for example, because they aren't appropriate for an adult. So the "incomplete" marking is of no consequence as long as you get the "blanket waiver" box also ticked. And you will because that's standard.

If you want to be super sure, then get the flu jab at Tesco's or similar. It doesn't matter the season you enter the US. The dates that count are your 1.)medical date and 2.) the date the AOS important dude pulls your file out of the box to give it approval (after a long time on the shelf).

If it's not flu season at either of those times, then no flu shot needed.

So for you, two examples--

1.)Medical December 2012 (flu season) but 2.)AOS final review August 2013 (not flu season) No shot needed

1.)Medical December 2012 (flu season) but 2.)AOS final review October 2013 (flu season again) Shot needed

I really don't know when you will file AOS and how long it will take. Many procrastinate filing after they get here. So you are bringing yourself closer and closer to next flu season. If you hit the double whammy of flu season for medical and flu season on final review, then they could ask you to get a flu shot. Is your AOS dude going to be a stickler?...maybe not. I doubt they would pay it that much attention, but there's ####### people in all occupations, so if your guy is super strict, then you could end up with a late RFE instead of an approval on the big day your file gets pulled from the box if it is after October 1, 2013 (the start of flu season again). The big unknown is when will your AOS case get final review.

Does that clear up your blonde head?

My blonde head is perfectly cleared up now. Im tempted to grab the flu shot just to be on the safe side but ive already got my full vaccine list so that wont be on there ¬¬

Police confirmed they mailed my certificate today so im about to book the medical. Im just worried they will forward it on to the embassy and then they will forget about it

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

. Im tempted to grab the flu shot just to be on the safe side but ive already got my full vaccine list so that wont be on there ¬¬

You can take your doctor list and a piece of paper from Tesco's or Boots and Knightsbridge will combine the information onto your DS-3024. no worries about that. Just get something on paper that confirms you got a flu shot and the date.

[MmmBlondie 8]

You can take your doctor list and a piece of paper from Tesco's or Boots and Knightsbridge will combine the information onto your DS-3024. no worries about that. Just get something on paper that confirms you got a flu shot and the date.

Good Idea booked in for the 21st Dec at 8.50am! Good thing I live in greater London/surrey! The tubes are going to be a nightmare that time of day not to mention the weekend before Christmas!