Influenza Vaccine

[ukcharlotte 4]

Is the influenza vaccination now a mandatory requirement? I thought I was up-to-date having had an MMR and TD last Tuesday, but it seems that the influenza has now become mandatory? Is this true?

Also, the nurse wouldn't give me the pertussis part of 'TDaP' because she said that it isn't given to adults?! Will the tetanus-dipheria alone see me through?

Thanks!

[cathy2904 97]

Flu is only compulsory during the flu season - Nivember to March.

[L+T 71]

Is the influenza vaccination now a mandatory requirement? I thought I was up-to-date having had an MMR and TD last Tuesday, but it seems that the influenza has now become mandatory? Is this true?

Also, the nurse wouldn't give me the pertussis part of 'TDaP' because she said that it isn't given to adults?! Will the tetanus-dipheria alone see me through?

Thanks!

For K1, Vaccination is optional. However, full documentation must be provided at AOS in the US. Therefore recommended to translate documents at medical.... at the very least.

Edited March 3, 2012 by Thomas70

[Dan & Jenni 457]

Td or Tdap - Maybe not available in the UK, so get DT, DTP or DtaP and it will be accepted for AOS

MMR (if born in 1957 or later) Get a second shot 4 wks later if you have time

Varicella – Not routinely given in the UK ; a history of having chickenpox excuses you from the shot. They take your word for it at the visa medical exam.

Influenza - During flu season only, October 1 through March 31. This was a new recommendation dated November 2010 for all ages over 6 months. Older lists will say flu shots for over age 50. It changed.

EDIT: looking at your timeline then by the time you get your medical you will need the 2nd MMR shot if you had the 1st last week... but you wont need the Flu shot as it wont be Flu season.

Edited March 3, 2012 by Dan & Jenni

[Inky 1,110]

Is the influenza vaccination now a mandatory requirement? I thought I was up-to-date having had an MMR and TD last Tuesday, but it seems that the influenza has now become mandatory? Is this true?

Also, the nurse wouldn't give me the pertussis part of 'TDaP' because she said that it isn't given to adults?! Will the tetanus-dipheria alone see me through?

Thanks!

Pertussis is very much given to adults!! parents need it to not give pertussis to their babys / kids, That would kill them if they caught it from their parents. I know 5 American adults alone this year who got pertussis (not the vaccine the actual disease) already and its only early march.

That nurse is not educated properly.

[ukcharlotte 4]

Okay doke, thanks!

[ukcharlotte 4]

Td or Tdap - Maybe not available in the UK, so get DT, DTP or DtaP and it will be accepted for AOS

I assume that it is just isn't given to adults within the UK.

[Dan & Jenni 457]

Pertussis is very much given to adults!! parents need it to not give pertussis to their babys / kids, That would kill them if they caught it from their parents. I know 5 American adults alone this year who got pertussis (not the vaccine the actual disease) already and its only early march.

That nurse is not educated properly.

but its not a requirement for the K1/AOS... Td alone is good enough

"he or she is required to receive tetanus and diphtheria toxoids vaccine (Td) or tetanus and diphtheria toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap)".

[Inky 1,110]

but its not a requirement for the K1/AOS... Td alone is good enough

"he or she is required to receive tetanus and diphtheria toxoids vaccine (Td) or tetanus and diphtheria toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap)".

I was commenting on the issue with the uneducated nurse saying that pertussis is not given to adults.

Both are very much on the list with the " or " between them and in Canada the panel physicians require you to get TDAP instead of TD ( for some reason!) But yes - was commenting on the fact the nurse said adults aren't given that vaccination when they are! lol

They even have commercials in the USA and Canada urging new parents to get the pertussis vaccination so you don't give it to your baby.

[Dan & Jenni 457]

I assume that it is just isn't given to adults within the UK.

its all rather confusing if you ask me lol. Inky could well be right and the nurse got it wrong... but then again it could be more country specific. either way... Td is fine

i just copied this from Nich-Nick who understands it all far better than me...

"Tdap includes Tetanus, Diptheria, acellular Pertussis (not Polio). You need T and d within the last 10 years to pass AOS.

Pertussis is a once in a lifetime shot, so if you had it as a baby, then a Td gets you past AOS. If you didn't have proof of DTP (baby version) then you might be given Tdap to cover the pertussis requirement.

The capital letters I used medically mean big doses of vaccine and lowercase letters mean smaller doses. Studies have shown some adverse reactions to D and P when given to adults, so the d and p mix like Boostrix were developed for adults. USCIS will accept Td or Tdap or DT or DTP or DtaP."

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Is the influenza vaccination now a mandatory requirement? I thought I was up-to-date having had an MMR and TD last Tuesday, but it seems that the influenza has now become mandatory? Is this true?

It has been mandatory for everyone older than 6 months since November 2010. The required dates for a flu shot are Oct 1-Marc 31 but there is a lot of wiggle room there. I've posted this a gazillion times so will cut and paste some things:.

**Note on flu shot: flu shots are required for adults of all ages (changed Nov 2010) if your UK exam was between (Oct 1 and March 31). But if the

AOS

adjudicator picks up your case when it is not flu season, you will be excused. And the reverse is true. The adjudicator picks up your case during flu season, but sees it was NOT flu season when you had your medical exam, you are also excused because the date they go by is the date of your exam to determine if you were current on that date. Keep in mind that if you go to a civil surgeon for an I-693, then you are resetting the medical exam date for immunizations and you may have to get second doses of shots or a flu shot to become current on your new immunization date of record.

You should get another MMR in 4 weeks. Had you waited and gotten MMR less than 4 weeks of your exam, you would have been given a waiver for AOS for the reason insufficient time interval because you could not medically get another sooner than 4 weeks of the last. I think getting two is the best plan.

Also, the nurse wouldn't give me the pertussis part of 'TDaP' because she said that it isn't given to adults?! Will the tetanus-dipheria alone see me through?

I've heard more than once that UK doctors have refused to give pertussis to their patients. What you have to realize is that your doctor has immunization guidelines he follows in the UK. It obviously says no pertussis for adults. So by the UK standards they are not wrong. But for immigration you are meeting the standards of US guidelines. So you have a little quandary there. I guess my husband's NHS doctor didn't care and gave him the full baby version DTP that isn't recommended for adults. But the good news is USCIS will accept any of the 5 variations Td or Tdap or DT or DTP or DtaP. It says so in their manual. Dan already quoted my post about adult and baby versions.

And yes, as Inky said, there is new concern about pertussis in the US and call for adults who will be around babies to get vaccinated. Your nurse is right by her UK rules and Inky is right with US rules.

Bottom line for you UKCharlotte is get another MMR in 4 weeks and you are good through to AOS without having a civil surgeon transcribe your records to a new form. It won't be flu season like Dan says when you go for your visa exam. And even if it's the middle of flu season when you AOS, it will be waived because your medical form will be ticked "not flu season" on the date it was signed.

[ukcharlotte 4]

Thanks for clearing that up Nich-Nick! Very much appreciated.

[Gosia & Tito 199]

Is the influenza vaccination now a mandatory requirement? I thought I was up-to-date having had an MMR and TD last Tuesday, but it seems that the influenza has now become mandatory? Is this true?

Also, the nurse wouldn't give me the pertussis part of 'TDaP' because she said that it isn't given to adults?! Will the tetanus-dipheria alone see me through?

Thanks!

They go by CDC recommendations, thus, you can check in the CDC site. I don't recall the exact place in the CDC site, but there is an entire booklet of instructions, recommendations, etc.

I believe the USCIS site has a pointer to the CDC site (or at least the specific booklet). I recall there were changes late in 2010 or early 2011 and I had the instructions when my then fiancee was about to go to the medical exam so we knew exactly what would happen. Influenza was only needed during flu season if I recall right, last quarter of the year

[bigdog 376]

CDC and find a good Civil Surgeon to get the straight scoop.

[Gosia & Tito 199]

Is the influenza vaccination now a mandatory requirement? I thought I was up-to-date having had an MMR and TD last Tuesday, but it seems that the influenza has now become mandatory? Is this true?

Also, the nurse wouldn't give me the pertussis part of 'TDaP' because she said that it isn't given to adults?! Will the tetanus-dipheria alone see me through?

Thanks!

Attached is the info from CDC, notice is dated 2010 (but I had downloaded it about March of last year 2011). You might want to check the CDC site in case there is something newer

Immunization Schedule-All Ages.pdf