Vaccination Options for the AOS

[ielocal]

We are preparing to file the AOS paperwork for my wife who arrived on a K-1 visa. She had her medical last Sept. so, right now a new medical exam is not required. We are looking at getting her vaccination up to date for the filing. The only records that she has (right now) is an old USSR booklet that shows some of her past vaccinations. I have called a couple of the board certified Civil Surgeons in my area about this and their standard answer is that the records should be in a standard notation that they should be able to read. When I tell them that they are in Cyrillic, there is usually silence on the other end, followed by a question if it is the same alphabet we use.

My wife is enrolled in a school program where a good medical insurance policy was required for enrollment (better than mine so we enrolled her in it). That policy appears to cover taking the vaccinations that are required for a decent price. $50 deductible covers all services for any one visit, waived if she visits the clinic on campus. I am considering having all the vaccinations that would not be hazardous to her health updated to cover all the USCIS requires. But, when I look at the USCIS web page they caution meeting with a Civil Surgeon before getting the vaccinations done.

So, I have a few questions in this regard:

1. Do I need to have the vaccination records that I already have translated (and send it) for the AOS filing or will the Civil Surgeon's statement that all the vaccinations are up to date suffice?

2. If we get the vaccinations done at her school's clinic, will the certification forms from there allow the Civil Surgeon to certify that the proper vaccinations have been done? And will the USCIS have a problem with doing this as it is noted on thier web site.

3. Is it better to just bite the bullet and have the vaccinations done at the Civil Surgeon's office?

Thanks

[Jet]

1) If you already translated your wife's vaccination record from USSR to english, bring THIS with you to the civil surgeon's office. She may need a chicken pox shot as they are not commonly given in Russia (this is good for her to have anyway). Liliya was up to date on everything else using her original russian doctor's records and translating them herself.

If she had the BCG vaccine when she was small (it's commonly given) she should make the civil surgeon aware, as they will probably forego the TB skin test - The BCG gives a false positive almost always, so theey'll do a chest x-ray instead.

 

2) Yes, this is perfectly acceptable, we just did this w/ little Niko and used his school immunization card as proof he was up to date. They can also check by blood test if no record exists.

3)No, it's a mega rip-off

good luck......

[RacerX]

My responses would be somewhat different:

1.  No, the vaccination records cannot be sent with the AOS filing.  Instead you will have to try and find a Civil Surgeon that will accept the translated copy as proof of those immunizations and then prepare a I-693A.

2.  Anyone can do the vaccinations, but the reason the USCIS warns you to consult with a civil surgeon is that, of the list of 11 or so, many do not apply to adults, for example she wouldn't need: polio (IPV), HiB, and a couple of others.

3.  Many people just do exactly that, and for two reasons: some civil surgeons won't do the I-693A without them giving the shots, and second, whether you can find one that will accept her translated records might be a problem.

I don't understand the comment about the TB test since you were just asking about the vaccinations - TB testing was done during her med. exam.

I think your experience is one others might learn from: treat the K-1 as an immigrant visa and get ALL the vaccinations done before she comes here, it will save you a lot of money and time.

[Jet]

I don't understand the comment about the TB test since you were just asking about the vaccinations - TB testing was done during her med. exam.

OUR experience was that the vaccination records would NOT be made available to us on the I-693 from the civil sureon's office UNLESS she was also tested for TB. This was repeated with a different civil surgeon when BCIS f**ked around on the child's AOS application so long, that the medical exam needed to be re-done along with the shot records. Further, it has been widely reported for the past several years, that many civil surgeons WILL NOT issue the vaccination report without doing another physical exam. It was just a "heads up". If it doesn't apply to your situation, feel free to ignore it.

[ConnerVT]

Interestingly, we were never asked for any vaccination records (for my wife or our son) by the St. Albans, VT sub-district office, nor have we ever been asked to meet with the Civil Surgeon.

The only ones interested, so far, in vaccination records has been my son's elementary school.

YMMV, I guess...  :? 

[catzenmouse]

I don't understand the comment about the TB test since you were just  asking about the vaccinations - TB testing was done during her med.  exam.

OUR experience was that the vaccination records would NOT be made  available to us on the I-693 from the civil sureon's office UNLESS she  was also tested for TB. This was repeated with a different civil  surgeon when BCIS f**ked around on the child's AOS application so long,  that the medical exam needed to be re-done along with the shot records.  Further, it has been widely reported for the past several years, that  many civil surgeons WILL NOT issue the vaccination report without doing  another physical exam. It was just a "heads up". If it doesn't apply to  your situation, feel free to ignore it.
[/quote]

Our experience was very similar to Jets in this. Plus the Civil Surgeon  screwed up Elena's form and we had to go back to him and have him  recreate the form.

Ken

[ielocal]

Ok, an update and a new question that has come up...

We went in and got my wife the first set of vaccinations at the health center at her campus. From my original post here I was wrong...her medical insurance didn't cover the vaccinations but no big deal (yet) to me that is part of the costs involved. The nurse there was helpful in that she deals with these vaccinations often with foreign student attending this university needing them updated for the BCIS. Including telling us of one Civil Surgeon to avoid as he is a quack and provides vaccinations even when there is documented evidence that they are not needed (See Jet's reply to number 3 above).

My wife took the ones that can be done in one visit but some take multiple visits. The hepatitis B is a series of shots over 3-6 months. So here's the first question...does all these have to be complete before filing for the AOS or can they just be completed before the appointment? I am stating this simply, I do realize that a Civil Surgeon must "bless" this paperwork with his paperwork.

She also told us that the pneumococcal vaccine is usually reserved for "elderly" people and not a common vaccine that is administered. Has anyone gotten the "writer" from the civil surgeon that this is not necessary or is that one I can expect the civil surgeon to want to administer? Next is the influenza type B vaccine. She says that that vaccine is not available right now. Again, is this one that someone was able to get a "writer" that this is not necessary or not available?

Thanks,

-ielocal

[Jet]

I specifically asked a lot of questions of BCIS at the time we filed AOS - including questions about vaccinations. We were instructed at that time (2003) that the vaccination supplement to the Physical WAS NOT REQUIRED at time of filing, but would DEFINATELY be needed at time of interview. This goes against ConnerVT's experience. When we went to our interview, the woman went through our entire file and informed us that the vaccination sheet was missing, we told her we were instructed to bring it along with us that day, and handed it to her. She looked it over, said it was fine and attached it to our file - that was it. The pneumococcal and influenza vaccines were not available at the time Liliya went either, the civil surgeon just noted it on the form and no questions were ever asked.

[catzenmouse]

We were sent a specific letter for "Additional Information" for the AOS processing that we had to have the medical done and the vaccinations done and submit the proof to USCIS before they would process the AOS.

I just LOVE the consistancy of the USCISHell!!! :seething:

Ken

[ielocal]

Well, the medical certification part is done for us. I guess we lucked out and found one of the few honest civil surgeons in our area.  After getting most of her vaccinations done at her campus health center (actually started as the Hepatitis series takes 6 months) we went to the civil surgeon for his "blessing paperwork". This only took about 10 minutes of sitting in his lobby and we were given the supplement form for $25.00. No attempts to try and give medical exams or supplemental vaccinations.  Actually when I made the appointment the receptionist said they don't even do the vaccinations there anymore. Also surprising as the doctor was slow enough that most of the time he was in the reception area B.S.ing with my wife about how his grandfather had come from Russia through Ellis Island.

From the report copy that I received I noticed a couple things. They marked a few items as "Not Appropriate Age". Of course I know that for a couple of the items are not correct (as she received the vaccination already), but hey I have the paperwork marked "all requirements met".  Now it is time for the "hurry up and wait" for the AOS filing.

Thanks for the replies here! In most cases I probably would have gone WTF and followed the same procedure but this made it easier to know it may be the proper course of action.

-ielocal