Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

Hi

We are moving to America in April, probably Connecticut as DH is working in Manhattan. I have three kids age 8, 6 and 3 and my question is about their immunisations. 8 year old is fully immunised, 6 year old we stopped after MMR due to ill health and 3 year old we stopped after baby injections because of big sister's ill health.

Do my kids need to be fully immunised to register in a public school? I have taken a look at lots of websites and they all say so. Can I object for any reason or do I have to do this.

Would really appreciate some advice here as April is going to come around very quickly.

Thanks

Kentmum

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

Hi and welcome :)

When we first moved over (9 years ago) we lived in Michigan and were able to sign a waiver that allowed us to register the kids in school without having all their immunisations. Now this was years ago and a different state than where you're headed. The waiver wasn't offered to us, we had to ask the school district.
If you are thinking of applying for LPR status then you will have to get the kids immunised, and they will have to have Heb. B for high school.

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

There is also the chicken pox vaccination unless they have already had chicken pox. My son and daughter have both had the pox so don't need to have the varicella injection. (sorry not sure how to spell it!)
My son was 6 when we came over to Indiana and the school said he needed to have all his jabs up to date before he could start. Only one he needed in the end was Hep B and he has had 2 of the 3 required doses. Daughter will have her course start in Spring for her to start school in Fall.

Are your kids allergic to something in the doses given? If so that may be a way of not getting them unless there is another way to be given the vaccinations?

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

Each state sets the requirements for immunizations and what is necessary for a waiver (or if such a thing exists). New York is considered very difficult to get a waiver however. Here are the school requirements

http://www.health.state.ny.us/publications/2370.pdf

Here is the general information for NY:

http://www.health.state.ny.us/preven...adolescent.htm

Oops, you are in CT for schools

http://www.cga.ct.gov/coc/immunization.htm
http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view.asp?a=3136&q=388450
http://www.health.state.ny.us/publications/2370.pdf

One note is that Hepatitis B is standard in the US and is not in the NHS. This is in part due to the fact it is more common here than it is in the UK (especially in areas with large numbers of immigrants, like NY) and that the cost of treating the disease and liver cancer is so much more expensive in the US that it make vaccinating more cost-effective.

I would recommend consulting your pediatrician when you arrive and going over what the normal schedule is for a child, what the requirements are for public schools, and what their thoughts are on the matter.

As a cultural note, vaccinations are more accepted and immunization rates are higher here than in the UK. The discredited and highly corrupt study by Wakefield did not cause as much of a stir on this side of the ocean as it did in the UK (which is why measles are making such a wonderful comeback in the UK).

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

This might be helpful. BUT, you may want to check on what the US goverment requires for everyone for immigration purposes. I don't think they do the exemption thing.
See here
http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigra...info_1331.html

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

:thumbup:

Well put.

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

As someone else pointed out, if you apply for Permenent Resident status eventually, your kids, you and your spouse will have no choice but to get the required immunizations. There are no waivers given by immigation.

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

When we tried to register my son in school (California) they were not interested in anything, birth cert, courses being studied etc, all they wanted to see were his medical records. The HR lady at husbands work was very helpful she printed out our local schools policy on vaccines etc.

As others have said matters not for immigration. if you look through my threads you'll find one, something like vaccination info for parents, that may help.

Tracey

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

You have the option of not sending your children to public schools and teaching them at home. I think private schools - at least in CA - have to follow the regulations for public schools.

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

The public schools ae very hot on it and I had to go madly rushing around to get Hep B done for my son, but later on I found out you can object and not have them done. :rolleyes:

By the way, the school nurse told me the varicella is not that effective and she didn't recommend it anyway.

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

Can't really help too much on the jabs but just wanted to say Hi, we are moving in April too, to CA but kids almost the same age 8, 5(will be 6 in Feb) and 3 :D best of luck with all your plans, I think I am in denial about how much we still need to sort out!

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

Hi

We moved over to US last Oct, best thing i could suggest is check with the school you are putting your children into. Both our son and daughter (6 and 2) had to get Hep B to start school/nursery but we had the first course given in the UK and the school was happy to accept my son aslong as he kept up the course. Your children may also need to have a medical (which for our school had to be done in the US, your school may be different) before he could start. We arrived on the Sat, he had the medical on the Tues and started on the Wednesday, but it was a requirement before he started so i would advise you check that aswell. If you arent sure what school you are going to yet, check the county website for where you are going to live, as they will say what the minimum is, and you may be able to get some of them done in the UK without being charged dependant on your GP.

Good luck with it all but this site has a huge wealth of knowledge in it from other people asking similar questions so search through threads and you will find your answer to most questions hopefully.

Best of British

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

Your going to need to get the jabs done, so might as well get them done for free on the NHS.

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

The Hep B wasn't free for my kids when I had it done in England in 2008 - I got the second one done over there (the first was done at our medical in london) and I paid 25 quid per child for it.... when I got over here we had the final one in the set of 3 done at the health center, and it cost me a big fat $10 per kid....

Since then we've moved to KY from OH and I just got the Hep B done for work and it was free!! yay!!

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

I had a voicemail and three missed calls on my cellphone a few months back. It said missed call from my son's school - they have never phoned me in two years. Panicking, I checked my voicemail only to be told one of his vaccinations was running out :banghead::banghead: I was so annoyed.

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

If you check the school requirements for your state you should be able to find out what is necessary. (I googled it to find Massachusetts')

The only differences from the UK were Varicella, but they both had Chicken Pox a few years ago so that isn't necessary and Hep B which I had to pay a whopping £40 a jab for, 2 children and 3 jabs each, not sure who found it the most painful!

Do your children's health problems still prevent them from getting the jabs that are recommended on the NHS? Maybe you could discuss it with your GP whilst it's still free!

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

I'm in the process of getting my visa, and I had to have the MMR vaccination:whatchutalkingabout...and I'm 38!:blink: Even the nurse who gave it to me said how ridiculous and completely unnecessary (she'd previously been through the visa process for Canada) it was. I suggested she might like to just "miss" with the injection and stamp the form anyway. But at least it was only the same dose they give to a kid (funnily enough, nobody makes "adult size" MMR vaccines!) so it probably won't kill me.

Moral of the story: don't try to apply logic or reason to the immigration process...what the embassy tells you will be completely different from what it says on their website which in turn will probably be different from what border officials tell you:confused:.

Moral of the story part two: I don't have kids and know very little about them so you can probably go ahead and completely ignore this post.:rolleyes:

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

Hi, you say that later on you found out you can object. How do you object and how did you find out? I am not sure whether I will object or not, just my middle child has ill health and so I am concerned. My little one has had all the baby shots but I didn't give her MMR. Just trying to research all avenues at the moment.

Thanks v much

Kentmum

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

Hi

Its very exciting but nerve-wracking too. We have lived abroad before but we have always wanted to go to the States - now the time is here though I am terrified. So much to do and so little time. Good luck.

Kentmum

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

Find a decent pediatrician in your new town and go over in detail the previous reaction that your other child had to the vaccine and your concerns about getting them the new shot. They will talk you through different options (for example breaking up the MMR into three separate shots instead of just one) or other options that might exist. If you can reach an agreement with the doctor, even getting them to write a note, then filing for a 'waiver' or 'exemption' (and those are the terms you need to research) is really quite easy. Religious grounds are also a valid reason in some states (in fact, I think religion is the primary grounds for exemption for Connecticut). If you do get an exemption, your child may be suspended from attending classes in times of disease outbreaks.

And as others have said, the immigration folks don't give a flying fig about your religious exemptions or other objections.

Do you have a study as to why kid 2 reacted and kid 1 didn't. Did they do an allergy test? Any other research? Or is it just sort of anecdotal? If you have any medical records from the previous vaccination you might want to bring that with you. Choosing not to vaccinate your kid is not choosing no risk, it's just choosing a different risk.

You can read more about the vaccines and the anti-vaccine movement at:

Science Based Medicine: http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?cat=36

MMR controversy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MMR_vaccine_controversy

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

When it came to my younger child moving to Middle School, the Elementary noticed she didn't have everything, so the nurse just said, "I'll tell them you objected to the shots and they won't bother you again". Of course if you go for a Green card, as others have said, you have to have everything. If you look at the form it does have a space where you can express your wishes.

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

in ohio we have to have a doctor sign off on a medical sheet stating all their vacs and dates etc. It has to be completed before they can start school/nursery etc and the doctor has to have physically seen the child within the last year. when we arrived my eldest was 3 and a half and my younger son was just short of 1 year. we just fitted into the US vacs schedule and only a couple were missing. I did take a copy of my UK doctors vaccs sheet for ewach child and the doc here was happy to accept that and just wrote that into his records.

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

About time. http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8493753.stm

The medical journal which originally published the discredited research linking autism and MMR has now issued a full retraction of the paper.

The Lancet said it now accepted claims made by the researchers were "false".

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

I have just organised this today with my local doctor's practice. I contacted the school my son (who is 8) will be going to in Houston. The (very helpful) administrator emailed me the school department's immunisation requirements.

I cross referenced this against the 'little red book' medical record we get in Scotland when you have a baby. (This is the one where all the immunisations etc... are recorded). There are a couple the 2 younger kids have to get: Hep B and also Chicken Pox. I have an appointment with our practice nurse next week to talk though the necessary immunisations and then she will write the prescriptions. I have opted to have this done in the UK. There might be a charge but it will be like £15 per immunisation per child.

It certainly looked quite clear to me that they insist on immunisation where we are going to and that is within the Katy ISD.

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

If your kids have had chicken pox, they shouldn't need the vaccination - my son's school were happy to accept the UK doctor's details on that one.

We're also in Texas and you can object to vaccinations based on philosophical grounds if you want to...

Depending on your insurance & co-pay details, it might be cheaper to do the vacs here if your GP's surgery is going to charge you (they don't all charge, so if you can wing it for free, even better) - we only pay a $10 co-pay for vaccinations, so that would actually be cheaper than £15.

Re: Moving to USA - immunisations!
 

Could always get a titre test done too, that'll show what you are vaccinated against and will show you're covered for chicken pox.