No Records of Vaccines from 30–40 Years Ago (Though I Received Them)

[spider1988 0]

Let me first explain my situation. I am 42 years old and originally from another country. For Form I-693, I was told I need four vaccines (Hepatitis B, MMR, Polio, and Tdap). I know I received these vaccines back home 30–40 years ago, but I have no records. I even asked my parents, and they said that at that time paperwork for vaccinations was not typically provided.

 

Is there a way to verify through a blood test whether I already have immunity from these vaccines? If not, does that mean I will need to take all of these vaccines again? Also, I am not sure whether it is safe to take these vaccines twice, and to be honest, I am not a fan of shots. 

 

I’m sure many people my age who came from other countries and received their shots 30–40 years ago might not have the paperwork. Could you please share how you handled this situation?

Edited 9 hours ago by spider1988

[OldUser 10,395]

Yes, you can do you blood test for many and bring results to civil surgeon.

 

However, it may be more expensive than getting vaccine itself again.

 

Most of vaccines are safe to get again if you don't have records. If you already have immunity, vaccine won't do anything, because your body knows how to handle the virus. Vaccines typically have deactivated virus that is not harmful anyway. Many vaccines won't be given to you after certain age. Civil surgeon can analyse it on spot and give you everything necessary on the day of exam.

Edited 5 hours ago by OldUser

[appleblossom 4,894]

5 hours ago, spider1988 said:

Let me first explain my situation. I am 42 years old and originally from another country. For Form I-693, I was told I need four vaccines (Hepatitis B, MMR, Polio, and Tdap). I know I received these vaccines back home 30–40 years ago, but I have no records. I even asked my parents, and they said that at that time paperwork for vaccinations was not typically provided.

 

Is there a way to verify through a blood test whether I already have immunity from these vaccines? If not, does that mean I will need to take all of these vaccines again? Also, I am not sure whether it is safe to take these vaccines twice, and to be honest, I am not a fan of shots. 

 

I’m sure many people my age who came from other countries and received their shots 30–40 years ago might not have the paperwork. Could you please share how you handled this situation?

@OldUser has answered your question perfectly, but what’s this for? It’s just that your profile says H-1B, and there’s no medical/vaccinations required for that anyway as it’s a non-immigrant visa.