DV 2020 All Selectees
- Thread starter Sm1smom
- Start date
Aidyn
Well-Known Member
You are correct that there is a list however there are many instances where some of these vaccines are not required. In my personal situation, of those listed on the official website I only needed 3. The others were not required for various reasons, such as, I had "aged out" of needing some, others were not required/available in the country I lived in.
Again I will say, the ONLY doctor who can advise with any official certainty is the official doctor performing your medical
Aidyn
Well-Known Member
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
As people who have actually been through this, we can tell you that in actuality not everyone needs all the vaccines on the list. My husband and I were age-exempted from a number of them.
WBA
Active Member
Thinking about the same as well
Same here. With a blood test, age.. Some should not be repeated anyway...
All I am saying is that you don't need to book an appointment with the same doctor(s) who will do your medical. Vaccines are vaccines. They may be done years ago before even the lottery existed.
There is a chart of the vaccines required along with the age requirements (don’t have it here with me at the moment of writing this).
Some vaccines, from the age 18 on for example, are not required as other people mentioned.
A good thing do to if one has time is to do the specific blood test to check you “coverage” for vaccines and bring that chart with you so at your family doctor visit.
The travels/health specialized doctor I mentioned before will require the blood tests in order to move forward as he/she won’t just give you vaccines if he doesn’t know if you need them or not.
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
Just sounds like adding yet another layer of complexity ... you now have two doctor visits before you get to the panel doctor, making it 3 in total, vs just going to the panel doctor in a one and done move. Time is valuable too.
I agree, that time is valuable, that’s why I acted promptly like 2/3 months before the interview. Bear in mind that I’m in Italy and this situation might differ from another country.
Starting from a situation where I didn’t know what to do I went to my family doctor who booked a specific blood test and he also booked an appointment with the disease center - “for travelers” department.
The doctor who visited me at the disease center saw my blood test results and with the USCIS chart with age range and whatnot he came up with the conclusion to book one a few vaccines which I did on the same day, I later went again for vaccine recalls. Again, this was my situation in Italy, it worked out because I acted promptly, no big problem in the end now that I think about it. I wish I knew a faster way lol
Starting from a situation where I didn’t know what to do I went to my family doctor who booked a specific blood test and he also booked an appointment with the disease center - “for travelers” department.
The doctor who visited me at the disease center saw my blood test results and with the USCIS chart with age range and whatnot he came up with the conclusion to book one a few vaccines which I did on the same day, I later went again for vaccine recalls. Again, this was my situation in Italy, it worked out because I acted promptly, no big problem in the end now that I think about it. I wish I knew a faster way lol
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
There is a faster way. Just go to the panel doctor without bothering about the others, which are unnecessary.
At the time I didn’t know that I could go straight to that disease center, but now that’s I think about it I only wasted 1 week in the process. Waiting times for some vaccines recalls were like a month after the first dose, and now that I remember I had to do the flu shot separately so I went to my family doctor for that, it was quicker but I then had to register that flu shot into the disease center database anyway by going there again with a certificate from my family doctor. Ahhh.... burocracy in Italy
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
Are the embassy instructions not clear in Italy, that you didn’t realize it? I’ve heard of people trying to save money by getting vaccinations at cheaper doctors, but I think this is the first time I heard anyone say they actually didn’t know they could just go to the panel doctor. We do see very few DV applicants from Italy on the forum though.
I’m not sure what the vaccine recall situation was that you refer to, but usually if a vaccine isn’t available at the time the panel doctor just exempts it. If it’s something critical, they will tell you to do it when you arrive in the US. We got exempted from varicella as we had a nationwide shortage, the kids got it done when we came to the US (both adults had had chicken pox so were exempted anyway).
This is specific by country and what is fast and what is slow is relative. Imagine some of us need to travel a lot to get to this panel doctor when you can do it with the family one.
He did it right and I did the same. start this early as possible I would say.
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
That argument doesn't make sense. You have to go to the panel doctor anyway. You’re just adding more doctor visits in.
You are suggesting something based on too many specifics. Panel doctor(I am guessing you are referring to the one who does the medicals) can be on the distance that is expensive, also it can be on different location/distance from the interview location.
All vaccinations can be(or you may don't need to do) done cheaply locally.
This is a simple process that doesn't need unnecessary complications and drama. It is no different than any other requested documentation.
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
You are the one who is complicating it! You have to go to the panel doctor for your medical anyway, so your argument about time or distance or whatever is spurious - if you want a visa, you have to go there anyway. If you need vaccinations, it adds maybe 5 minutes to the time you spend there. Maybe you are not understanding the procedure. Do you think you need an extra visit to the panel doctor for vaccinations? No, they do it all at the same time as they see you for the rest of the medical check anyway.
Ok, listen to this. I know you know a lot and I will not comment on this topic anymore. But just think a bit. You go to the panel doctor without any paperwork about your vaccinations and do what? Do a blood test to figure out what's needed? How long it takes to get the blood results? 5 minutes or two days? Imagine the interview is on the next day.
No one complains here
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
We (adults) had no vaccination paperwork. Many adults have lost theirs. The official US stance on this is quite simple if you have no paperwork : “The panel physician will work with the applicant to determine which vaccinations the applicant may need to meet vaccination requirements.” (See near the end of the FAQs here https://travel.state.gov/content/tr...terview-prepare/medical-examination-faqs.html )
As most adults are age exempt from many vaccinations anyway and only need a couple, it’s generally a quick and easy “fix”. I have never once, not once, heard of anyone without a vaccination record having any kind of issue not solved on the day of the medical. If you have seen someone report this, I would be interested to be pointed to such a post. The only real time-delay complications that arise at the medical are when someone actually has one of the diseases of communicable significance and requires that to be treated successfully before a visa can be issued. (So If you want to get a head start on anything by visiting your local doctor, it makes much more sense to be tested for TB, gonorrhea, syphilis etc that might need treatment, than getting vaccinations you don’t need.)