Vaccinations, pregnancies, and a green card

[tsaijk 0]

Hello everyone,

My wife and I have been married for over three months. She is from Taiwan and came to the US on a K-1 visa. Last month, she mailed in her AOS form. She also received a Tdap shot and was told that she'll need a Td shot in six months. The civil surgeon indicated on Form I-693 in part 2 that my wife had received the Tdap shot. The civil surgeon also indicated that my wife is eligible for a blanket waiver and that in six months she will need the Tdap shot. Here is my question after all of this. If my wife should become pregnant before the six months are over, will she be denied a green card because she could not receive the Td shot? Or will the blanket waiver allow her to be granted a green card on condition that she gets the Td shot after the pregnancy?

Respectfully,

Joe

[Danu 19]

Hello everyone,

My wife and I have been married for over three months. She is from Taiwan and came to the US on a K-1 visa. Last month, she mailed in her AOS form. She also received a Tdap shot and was told that she'll need a Td shot in six months. The civil surgeon indicated on Form I-693 in part 2 that my wife had received the Tdap shot. The civil surgeon also indicated that my wife is eligible for a blanket waiver and that in six months she will need the Tdap shot. Here is my question after all of this. If my wife should become pregnant before the six months are over, will she be denied a green card because she could not receive the Td shot? Or will the blanket waiver allow her to be granted a green card on condition that she gets the Td shot after the pregnancy?

Respectfully,

Joe

All they require is your shots to be up to date at the time of filing. The info that she will need a shot in 6 months is for your information. You are only required to have started your series of vaccines, not to have completed them, to get your greencard, so there wouldn't be any conditions on her vaccinations or anything.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Hello everyone,

My wife and I have been married for over three months. She is from Taiwan and came to the US on a K-1 visa. Last month, she mailed in her AOS form. She also received a Tdap shot and was told that she'll need a Td shot in six months. The civil surgeon indicated on Form I-693 in part 2 that my wife had received the Tdap shot. The civil surgeon also indicated that my wife is eligible for a blanket waiver and that in six months she will need the Tdap shot. Here is my question after all of this. If my wife should become pregnant before the six months are over, will she be denied a green card because she could not receive the Td shot? Or will the blanket waiver allow her to be granted a green card on condition that she gets the Td shot after the pregnancy?

Respectfully,

Joe

Well... out of interest... it's not contra-indicated to have tDap whilst pregnant, there are different things they do.. Here: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5901-Immunization.pdf bottom of page 2 (following on to page 3) it says: "If a woman is pregnant and received the last Td vaccination >10 years previously, administer Td during the second or third trimester. If the woman received the last Td vaccination <10 years previously, administer Tdap during the immediate postpartum period. A dose of Tdap is recommended for postpartum women, close contacts of infants aged <12 months, and all health-care personnel with direct patient contact if they have not previously received Tdap. An interval as short as 2 years from the last Td vaccination is suggested; shorter intervals can be used. Td may be deferred during pregnancy and Tdap substituted in the immediate postpartum period, or Tdap can be administered instead of Td to a pregnant woman."

(I bolded what would apply to her) This is from the CDC where the CS's get their instructions.

In either event, she has submitted her AOS paperwork therefore the medical that she SENT is what matters. They do not check to make sure she has kept up to date at the interview, just that she was current at the time of filing. I haven't read enough about ROC to know if it'll (the immunisation list) be needed then but just in case (or for her own health even) if she can get it following her pregnancy, or if she doesn't get pregnant in the next 6 months at that time, then I think that would be safest, just to be sure she's good to go if they ever need that list again.

So in closing, no. They will not deny her (on medical grounds) as long as she was up-to-date at the time of filing AOS.

Edited April 16, 2010 by Vanessa&Tony

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

+1 on Danu.

No need to continue the unnecessary and arguably unhealthy shots if your wife does not want to.