Blood Titre Test in the UK (Spelling?)

[Val and Gary 29]

Hey everyone. I've just been chasing up my childhood inoculation records in the UK, and guess what - they are destroyed. I'm told I need a BLOOD TITRE test to check what antibodies are left in my system. My NHS GP will have nothing to do with it and says I must go to a private clinic. Has anyone in the UK had any experience of this, and if there is another way I could get this done on the NHS? Thanks in advance to you Brits out there.

[YuAndDan 153]

Yes, can get tested at a private clinic, and bring the results to the board certified doctor when doing physical for the visa.

Moving this to UK forum.

[Y&E 12]

I just had the vaccinations done again for the ones that I didn't have records for. In fact, one of my records was just wrong. The doctor said that it wasn't harmful to have them redone and it was free. Maybe that could be an option. I think that there are only about 4 that are required once you've reached a certain age.

[YuAndDan 153]

I just had the vaccinations done again for the ones that I didn't have records for. In fact, one of my records was just wrong. The doctor said that it wasn't harmful to have them redone and it was free. Maybe that could be an option. I think that there are only about 4 that are required once you've reached a certain age.

And I will list:

Age 18 - 64 are required to have:

• MMR
• Td
• Variccella (AKA Chicken Pox)
• The FLU if in season

More: http://www.cdc.gov/i...tions.html#tbl1

[ameribrit 37]

And I will list:

Age 18 - 64 are required to have:

• MMR
• Td
• Variccella (AKA Chicken Pox)
• The FLU if in season

More: http://www.cdc.gov/i...tions.html#tbl1

Hey YuAndDan. A quick question to that link. In the literature it states:....... Influenza vaccine is required for applicants 6 months through 18 years of age during the influenza (flu) season in the country of examination for immigration. Influenza vaccine continues to be required for adults 50 years of age or older.

But the chart just says, Yes(6months and up) for Influenza, which is it?And can you confirm that flu season is October to March? Just wondering if I need to make another visit to the docs before NOA2. Thanks

[YuAndDan 153]

Hey YuAndDan. A quick question to that link. In the literature it states:....... Influenza vaccine is required for applicants 6 months through 18 years of age during the influenza (flu) season in the country of examination for immigration. Influenza vaccine continues to be required for adults 50 years of age or older.

But the chart just says, Yes(6months and up) for Influenza, which is it?And can you confirm that flu season is October to March? Just wondering if I need to make another visit to the docs before NOA2. Thanks

That chart is the CDC, which dictates what needs to be vaccinated for, in most cases the Flu vaccine is not required.

[Welshcookie 17]

I believe the Varicella (AKA Chicken Pox)vaccine is not required at this stage as it is not a vaccine that is readily available in the UK, but I just had my vaccines redone...I did end up wtih the Varicella vaccine as I had mine done at a USAF base in the UK.

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

The shots need to be given again (boosters) if they were given more than 10 years ago, so chances are your childhood shots wouldn't count for anything anyway.

• MMR
  
• Td or Tdap or DT or DTP or DTaP (Tdap is the adult strength shot, actually weaker, and not available in the UK)
  
• Varicella (not available in the UK) - Tell them you had chickenpox and you don't have to get the jab.
  
• Flu shot Oct 1-Mar 31
  

About flu shot: In November the CDC changed the requirement to be everyone older than 6 month. Not all the lists are updated. Flu shots get to be a timing issue with Adjustment of Status, which is when immunizations must be complete.

The rule is--

*If it wasn't flu season (Oct 1-Mar 31) on the date of the visa exam then no flu shot required no matter when your AOS is mailed.

*If it is flu season at your visa exam date, but your AOS is received out of flu season (Apr 1-Sept30) then they also excuse the flu shot because you applied for AOS at a time of the year it wouldn't be required. So it's pretty easy to get around the flu shot, but if you don't get it now during flu season and your AOS is mailed during flu season next year or even before Mar. 31 this year, a flu shot is supposed to be required. Hope you can make some sense out of that. I got all of the above from USCIS information...didn't just make it up.

Edit: Shots are not required to get the visa, but are required for AOS. It makes it a whole lot easier if you do all of them now and get it recorded on your Knightsbridge records. Then you won't have to pay a civil surgeon to copy your records on to an I-693. All requirements must be met and recorded by Knightsbridge for that to be possible.

Edited January 27, 2011 by Nich-Nick

[tomae 1]

Td or Tdap or DT or DTP or DTaP (Tdap is the adult strength shot, actually weaker, and not available in the UK)

The PDF of vaccination requirements on the embassy website (here) says "NO" for DTP/DTaP/DT but "YES" for Td/Tdap. Are you sure they'll accept the former? I want to be sure because my doctor seems to want to give me DTP for this.

Edited January 27, 2011 by tomae

[ameribrit 37]

About flu shot: In November the CDC changed the requirement to be everyone older than 6 month. Not all the lists are updated. Flu shots get to be a timing issue with Adjustment of Status, which is when immunizations must be complete.

The rule is--

*If it wasn't flu season (Oct 1-Mar 31) on the date of the visa exam then no flu shot required no matter when your AOS is mailed.

*If it is flu season at your visa exam date, but your AOS is received out of flu season (Apr 1-Sept30) then they also excuse the flu shot because you applied for AOS at a time of the year it wouldn't be required. So it's pretty easy to get around the flu shot, but if you don't get it now during flu season and your AOS is mailed during flu season next year or even before Mar. 31 this year, a flu shot is supposed to be required. Hope you can make some sense out of that. I got all of the above from USCIS information...didn't just make it up.

Many thanks for confirming that for me. Very helpful

[SunDrop 59]

Just a quick note to add, that the Varicella vaccine is not available in the UK. A chickenpox history is adequate, just let them know at your medical.

[Val and Gary 29]

I just had the vaccinations done again for the ones that I didn't have records for. In fact, one of my records was just wrong. The doctor said that it wasn't harmful to have them redone and it was free. Maybe that could be an option. I think that there are only about 4 that are required once you've reached a certain age.

Thank you. I will enquire about getting them done at my local GP.

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

The PDF of vaccination requirements on the embassy website (here) says "NO" for DTP/DTaP/DT but "YES" for Td/Tdap. Are you sure they'll accept the former? I want to be sure because my doctor seems to want to give me DTP for this.

Okay, here's the long version of what I know from USCIS and CDC sources---

D = Diptheria

T = Tetnus

P = Pertussis (whooping cough)

aP = acellular pertussis

DTP/DTaP/DT/Td/Tdap all prevent the diseases. The difference is the mixture. A capital letter D/T/P indicates a stronger dosage in the mix. A lower case letter d/p/ap indicates a lesser dosage. Medical studies indicated that some teens and adults had adverse reactions to DTP so drug companies came up with new versions having lesser diptheria and pertussis components, mainly to be boosters. The drugs are named Boostrix and Adacel. One is licensed for age 10 and up and the other is age 11 if I remember correctly. The are not sold/approved/whatever in the UK.

The chart, being a US recommendation, would only suggest Td or Tdap for people older than 10 or so because of the drugs Boostrix and Adacel availabilty to US customers.

On to AOS approval, which is ultimately why we get these jabs. There is a hundreds of pages long manual for the adjudicators reference on every detail of approving an AOS. Concerning their checking of immunization, this is an excerpt of some of the ages/requirements for shots. (I've posted the whole list elsewhere from birth on up)

19 through 26 years

: Td or Tdap (if DT, DTP or DTaP shown: okay to accept); MMR; Varicella

27 through 49 years

: Td or Tdap (if DT, DTP or DTaP shown: okay to accept); MMR; Varicella

50 through 59 years

: Td or Tdap (if DT, DTP or DTaP shown: okay to accept); MMR (if born in 1957 or later); Varicella; Influenza (during flu season only, October 1 through March 31

NOTE: I copied this before the flu shot recommendations for all ages came out in November. But from this you can see that adjudicators are told that Td or Tdap is the correct shot, but it's okay to accept DT, DTP or DTaP.

On a personal experience note: My husband got DTP (along with a bunch of crying babies) at NHS for free. He did not send in an I-693 from a US civil surgeon with his AOS. He was approved without RFE or an interview.

[Val and Gary 29]

Okay, here's the long version of what I know from USCIS and CDC sources---

D = Diptheria

T = Tetnus

P = Pertussis (whooping cough)

aP = acellular pertussis

DTP/DTaP/DT/Td/Tdap all prevent the diseases. The difference is the mixture. A capital letter D/T/P indicates a stronger dosage in the mix. A lower case letter d/p/ap indicates a lesser dosage. Medical studies indicated that some teens and adults had adverse reactions to DTP so drug companies came up with new versions having lesser diptheria and pertussis components, mainly to be boosters. The drugs are named Boostrix and Adacel. One is licensed for age 10 and up and the other is age 11 if I remember correctly. The are not sold/approved/whatever in the UK.

The chart, being a US recommendation, would only suggest Td or Tdap for people older than 10 or so because of the drugs Boostrix and Adacel availabilty to US customers.

On to AOS approval, which is ultimately why we get these jabs. There is a hundreds of pages long manual for the adjudicators reference on every detail of approving an AOS. Concerning their checking of immunization, this is an excerpt of some of the ages/requirements for shots. (I've posted the whole list elsewhere from birth on up)

19 through 26 years

: Td or Tdap (if DT, DTP or DTaP shown: okay to accept); MMR; Varicella

27 through 49 years

: Td or Tdap (if DT, DTP or DTaP shown: okay to accept); MMR; Varicella

50 through 59 years

: Td or Tdap (if DT, DTP or DTaP shown: okay to accept); MMR (if born in 1957 or later); Varicella; Influenza (during flu season only, October 1 through March 31

NOTE: I copied this before the flu shot recommendations for all ages came out in November. But from this you can see that adjudicators are told that Td or Tdap is the correct shot, but it's okay to accept DT, DTP or DTaP.

On a personal experience note: My husband got DTP (along with a bunch of crying babies) at NHS for free. He did not send in an I-693 from a US civil surgeon with his AOS. He was approved without RFE or an interview.

Just to be sure then, as I was born in 1956, I do NOT need MMR, and I cannot get Varicalla, because it is not available in the UK. How then do i go about proving I have had chickenpox?

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

Just to be sure then, as I was born in 1956, I do NOT need MMR, and I cannot get Varicalla, because it is not available in the UK. How then do i go about proving I have had chickenpox?

My husband got his GP office to write it on his list of immunizations. He just told the nurse "my mum said I had chickenpox in December of 19xx" and they wrote it on the list. But lots of others have said at Knightsbridge the shot lady going over your records says "did you have chickenpox?" You say "yes" and she takes your word for it. I remember one UK girl who went on and on about them not believing she had chickenpox even with pock scars on her face, but I think that was maybe at a civil surgeon in the US. Can't remember for sure.

Be sure your immunization worksheet is marked "age not appropriate" on the MMR line and not just left blank. Then you get the blanket waiver as they call it, meaning excused from that shot.