Andy In Reston Virginia

Applying for adjustment of status from L1 / L2. Like most, we don't carry our vaccination records from birth, so any advice on how this will pan out would be great. From initial discussion with the doctor's secretary it seems we will need to have chicken pox, MMR and tetanus / Dip. Can these be evidenced by blood tests for antibodies? Thanks.

Ben

Yes, you can get a titer test. But if you choose this way make sure you get the test done in plenty of time before you actually go for your GC medical because you actually need to take the results with you. Some insurance companies will pay for the test and some won't. You could check with your primary carer.

ScyLarc

This thread has just made me realise something about the greencard medicals that i think it going to cause big trouble for me. I was rushed out here with very little notice by my Company last year on an L1 visa and they have started the greencard application already. I knew my husband and I would need to have a medical but i didn't realise i would also be required to have certain vaccinations to pass.

My problem is that i have never had a single vaccination, i have an inherited condition that causes my body to go into a severe state of shock when vaccinated and can cause all kinds of problems. Both my siblings developed life long conditions (diabetes, severe asthma etc) after vaccinations as babies and doctors recommended that i was not given any vaccines ever as a precaution. I did get a blood test done when i was at the rubella vaccination age as Social Services got involved and i was proved to have a natural immunity but i doubt i would be immune to everything out there and may fail a Titre test.

I have looked for some medical guidelines online but i can't find anything particularly helpful, does anyone know if i will get turned down because i can't/won't risk having these vaccinations?

snowbunny

If you have a family history of adverse reactions to vaccinations I do know they will not force you to get them as a precondition to attending school, for example. Can you document your family history via a letter from a doctor back home?

AdobePinon

If you read through the actual forms they use, you'll notice that doctors have a lot of discretion on all aspects of the medical. One of the civil surgeons here in Santa Fe is notorious for putting people on nine months of TB antibiotics just because they had a BCG at some point in their life (and therefore failed the skin test). My doctor gave me a chest x-ray instead. Some are known to take proof of BCG as enough.

The forms have space for explaining why vaccinations may not be warranted. So the bottom line is that these issues depend on the doctor. Do your research and choose carefully.