Eddie35

Hi,
My family is due to relocate to Virginia, for employment reasons, either Fairfax or Loudon county not sure which yet. I am looking at schools online at the moment and am confused whether my kids aged 8 and 4 will need every dose of immunisation to start school and Pre K in Aug/Sept 2015. Is it ok to start the immunisation say for Hep B in the UK i.e dose 1 and 2 and then have number 3 in the States? I think we have ran out of time to get them all done with the correct time gap in between before the move.
Do the schools understand that this might be the case if familieshave to move relatively quickly?

Do my children also have to have Hep A?

Thanks

Eddie

scrubbedexpat097

It should be OK if you show proof to the school district of having started the HepB series. Not sure about Hep A as it can vary state to state.

penguinsix

I think Virginia is only HepB, but many of the Hepatitis immunization formulations are mixed and provide coverage for A&B so might as well get them both while you are at it.

School Requirements

Eddie35

Thanks. I was hoping that if we started the program UK side then we would be able to get the remaining dose stateside. I guess I would have to find out the name of the immunisation used to check it was the same formula in the States.

I have been a bit confused about the Hep A requirement- but after looking last night- I can't seem to find it for Virginia so that would be one less, unless we could have it combined.

Thanks to you both for your help

penguinsix

TwinRix is the GSK brand of Hep A and B that is offered in the UK.

About Twinrix - Vaccinations (all) - NHS Choices

ottotheboar

Have you contacted the schools ? Northern Virginia schools have a large diverse number of pupils.
I would be surprised if you were the first one to have questions on the issue of vaccination for children.

Eddie35

Thank you.

Yes I am actually going to do that! Seems like the best way forward

penguinsix

There is a Washington DC area "Mommy Forum" called DC Urban Moms and Dads:

DCUM Forum

They have sections on education in MD, VA and DC and I'm sure they probably have someone who has been there, done that for specific schools. They could also provide some neighborhood-by-neighborhood recommendations on which schools and whatnot.

HOWEVER...that forum is legendary in the DC community for 'going a bit turbo' from time to time with some nasty and snarky posters (everyone is anonymous). A simple question like this though should get you some decent replies though.

Eddie35

Thanks for posting this. I will certainly go check it out