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TB immunization clarification (Form 485)
- Thread starter Neil B.
- Start date
CDC requires that everyone applying for AOS and over the age of 2 take a TB skin test. There are only 2 exceptions to this:
1. If you have had a prior positive reaction to this test.
2. If you are exempt from taking the medical examination (some 245i clause).
And INS requires surgeons to take the skin test. Some surgeons go ahead and take the x-ray instead of the TB skin test. But iif a civil surgeon submits a I-693 without a skin test and this happens twice, the civil surgeon could loose the licence.
1. If you have had a prior positive reaction to this test.
2. If you are exempt from taking the medical examination (some 245i clause).
And INS requires surgeons to take the skin test. Some surgeons go ahead and take the x-ray instead of the TB skin test. But iif a civil surgeon submits a I-693 without a skin test and this happens twice, the civil surgeon could loose the licence.
It's really not a big deal (physically), though, so don't worry too much about it. Just a quick jab with the needle, OK it burns a bit while they inject the stuff, and then you go back 2 days later to see if it reacted. I mean, it wouldn't be fun for a kid, but hopefully you can bribe them with ice cream or something afterwards to make them feel better. If it did react, you need an X-ray, I think.
If you're worried due to pregnancy, or something, for your wife, I think you can get it postponed until after delivery of the baby.
If you're worried due to pregnancy, or something, for your wife, I think you can get it postponed until after delivery of the baby.
nervewreck
Registered Users (C)
TB Skin test is quite simple to go through actually. They will inject Tuberculin into the skin and await how the body reacts, they will need to re-inspect after a couple of days.
If there is clear skin or redness then thats normal. If there is swelling less than 15mm in diameter, then thats acceptable too. Any swelling in the area, thats more than 15mm in diameter is considered as a positive.
A positive for the test, does not impact your immigration medical report. If the skin test comes out as positive, most of the doc offices do an additional chest X-ray and rule out the possibility. For your own precaution, they might put you on a 6 month course of a drug that will remove all traces from your body.
It has been proved that almost 1/3rd of people who get tested for TB skin test, come out as positive. The virus is usually in the body, but the body's defense system keeps winning over it, for life time. When the virus wins, thats when a person contacts the disease. Which is rare, in today's modern medicine world.
This was the information that was relayed to us by our doctor's office.
Wanted to share it with all of you, just in case if you have concerns/questions.
Hope this helps.
If there is clear skin or redness then thats normal. If there is swelling less than 15mm in diameter, then thats acceptable too. Any swelling in the area, thats more than 15mm in diameter is considered as a positive.
A positive for the test, does not impact your immigration medical report. If the skin test comes out as positive, most of the doc offices do an additional chest X-ray and rule out the possibility. For your own precaution, they might put you on a 6 month course of a drug that will remove all traces from your body.
It has been proved that almost 1/3rd of people who get tested for TB skin test, come out as positive. The virus is usually in the body, but the body's defense system keeps winning over it, for life time. When the virus wins, thats when a person contacts the disease. Which is rare, in today's modern medicine world.
This was the information that was relayed to us by our doctor's office.
Wanted to share it with all of you, just in case if you have concerns/questions.
Hope this helps.
TB Skin test is quite simple to go through actually. They will inject Tuberculin into the skin and await how the body reacts, they will need to re-inspect after a couple of days.
If there is clear skin or redness then thats normal. If there is swelling less than 15mm in diameter, then thats acceptable too. Any swelling in the area, thats more than 15mm in diameter is considered as a positive.
A positive for the test, does not impact your immigration medical report. If the skin test comes out as positive, most of the doc offices do an additional chest X-ray and rule out the possibility. For your own precaution, they might put you on a 6 month course of a drug that will remove all traces from your body.
It has been proved that almost 1/3rd of people who get tested for TB skin test, come out as positive. The virus is usually in the body, but the body's defense system keeps winning over it, for life time. When the virus wins, thats when a person contacts the disease. Which is rare, in today's modern medicine world.
This was the information that was relayed to us by our doctor's office.
Wanted to share it with all of you, just in case if you have concerns/questions.
Hope this helps.
A few corrections:
1- The drug doesn't "remove all traces", but significantly reduces the chances of the individual actually coming down with TB (from 15% to 1%, give or take).
2- A positive skin test will not impact the immigrant application only if the X-ray if negative.
3- You can't 'prove' that 1/3 of people are positive for skin tests unless you actually test all the people! What you can do is show statistics, which vary from country to country and age of patient.
4- The TB bug is not a virus, but a bacterium.
5- Actual active infection is indeed rare in modernized countries, but actually unfortunately common in less industrialized counties, especially Africa.
Also for AOS medical examinations, anything >5mm is considered a positive on the skin test.
You can read all these in detail in the Medical examination instructions for civil surgeons.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/pdf/ti-civil.pdf
You can read all these in detail in the Medical examination instructions for civil surgeons.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/pdf/ti-civil.pdf
futurewizard
Registered Users (C)
Medical Result
I got PPD +ve, My Chest X-Ray was done and X_Ray clears me for TB however, they found traces of "interstitial pneumonia".
Does it clear me for 485 purpose?
I got PPD +ve, My Chest X-Ray was done and X_Ray clears me for TB however, they found traces of "interstitial pneumonia".
Does it clear me for 485 purpose?