Vaccinations: Questions and what do I need?

[fip & jim 452]

5 minutes ago, Kaatje said:

I have had all those vaccinations except varicella and mumps. Since I have had mumps and varicella when was kid, I dont think I still need those shots. Or is that a wrong assumption?

You'll need MMR but not varicella.

[Kaatje 81]

8 minutes ago, fip & jim said:

You'll need MMR but not varicella.

I've had shots for measles and rubella, the only thing missing from MMR  is mumps wich I had when I was 6. So getting those shots again seems overdone to me?

[fip & jim 452]

2 minutes ago, Kaatje said:

I've had shots for measles and rubella, the only thing missing from MMR  is mumps wich I had when I was 6. So getting those shots again seems overdone to me?

I don't think they'll make an exception. Did you have the shots individually?

 

Edited July 26, 2019 by fip & jim

[Kaatje 81]

5 minutes ago, fip & jim said:

I don't think they'll make an exception. Did you have the shots individually?

 

Yes, measles when I was 1 and rubella when I was 11.

[Wuozopo 4,289]

3 minutes ago, Kaatje said:

Yes, measles when I was 1 and rubella when I was 11.

You would probably require written medical documentation of having the mumps disease. Chickenpox is the only disease the panel physician is allowed to take your word for. A blood titre to check immunity is an option, but that may cost more than the shot. Since the US immunization schedule recommends 2 MMR, there's no harm in getting another MMR unless you're pregnant (no to rubella component). 

[fip & jim 452]

20 minutes ago, Kaatje said:

Yes, measles when I was 1 and rubella when I was 11.

Here's the medical info for the Netherlands: https://www.visajourney.com/consulates/Amsterdam-vacc-Netherland.htm

 

Were your parents anti-vaccines?

 

Have you looked on the Netherlands portal or asked there? Or contact the physician direct to ask. The contact details are in the embassy instructions here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Supplements/Supplements_by_Post/AMS-Amsterdam.html#Med_exam_instructions

 

This thread is for the UK medical so the instructions will be different to the Netherlands. 

Edited July 26, 2019 by fip & jim

[fip & jim 452]

1 minute ago, Wuozopo said:

You would probably require written medical documentation of having the mumps disease. Chickenpox is the only disease the panel physician is allowed to take your word for. A blood titre to check immunity is an option, but that may cost more than the shot. Since the US immunization schedule recommends 2 MMR, there's no harm in getting another MMR unless you're pregnant (no to rubella component). 

She had indivdual shots, Wuozopo. Wouldn't she need 2 MMR? I don't think they'll accept one shot of measles at the age of 1 and one shot of rubella at 11 as having fulfilled the MMR vaccine requirements. 

[Wuozopo 4,289]

2 minutes ago, fip & jim said:

She had indivdual shots, Wuozopo. Wouldn't she need 2 MMR? I don't think they'll accept one shot of measles at the age of 1 and one shot of rubella at 11 as having fulfilled the MMR vaccine requirements. 

Yes, I understand she had individual shots of measles and rubella, which count no matter when taken. But finding an individual shot for MUMPS these days would be difficult. The drug manufacturers tend to  lump mumps/measles/rubella  into a trivalent dose, which is why I said another MMR shot just to get the mumps component. However, I am not familiar with what is commonly available at the clinics in Amsterdam. 

[Kaatje 81]

8 minutes ago, fip & jim said:

Here's the medical info for the Netherlands: https://www.visajourney.com/consulates/Amsterdam-vacc-Netherland.htm

 

Were your parents anti-vaccines?

 

Have you looked on the Netherlands portal or asked there? Or contact the physician direct to ask. The contact details are in the embassy instructions here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Supplements/Supplements_by_Post/AMS-Amsterdam.html#Med_exam_instructions

 

This thread is for the UK medical so the instructions will be different to the Netherlands. 

Sorry, didn't realize I was in a UK thread, still pretty new here. Thanks for the links, very helpfull! My parents were not anti-vaccines, I guess there weren't a lot of mandatory vaccinations in the seventies and eighties in Holland 😂

[fip & jim 452]

Just now, Wuozopo said:

Yes, I understand she had individual shots of measles and rubella, which count no matter when taken. But finding an individual shot for MUMPS these days would be difficult. The drug manufacturers tend to  lump mumps/measles/rubella  into a trivalent dose, which is why I said another MMR shot just to get the mumps component. However, I am not familiar with what is commonly available at the clinics in Amsterdam. 

My nephew is half Dutch and his parents took him to the Netherlands to get individual shots because of the MMR and Autism scares circulating back then. So I think it is possible to get the individual shots done privately there. 

 

It's best to check with the physician and it's probably easier and cheaper to get the whole thing done (it doesn't pose a risk to health if you've already had mumps). 

[fip & jim 452]

8 minutes ago, Kaatje said:

Sorry, didn't realize I was in a UK thread, still pretty new here. Thanks for the links, very helpfull! My parents were not anti-vaccines, I guess there weren't a lot of mandatory vaccinations in the seventies and eighties in Holland 😂

That's ok.

 

I had to the get the MMR for the same reason, even though I had measles and I had the rubella shot. 

[yuna628 9,547]

There is nothing wrong with obtaining another MMR even if you have had one of the diseases previously. During one of the MMR outbreaks in the UK and US, my husband contracted mumps and gave me a mild form of measles. This is likely because of how a lot of UK and US kids born of a certain timeframe either didn't receive the shot or received a shot but not such that was perfected enough or as they later discovered a person needed an additional shot for greater immunity. He still had to receive the MMR vaccination for his medical, even if he had contracted the disease before, and opted to get both doses before attending Knightsbridge. It can't hurt, and since MMR is making a resurgence, obtaining the shot will give you greater immunity and help protect others.

 

With chickenpox it's a different thing. If you've had it in the past as most kids do, they will take your words for it. It's horrible to contract, but not as remotely fatal as MMR - and you are generally considered immune after contracting anyway. With diseases associated with MMR the risk of recontraction or spreading to others at risk is too great.

Edited July 26, 2019 by yuna628