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What if my vaccination records are lost?

Key answer

Lost records are not a blocker: you take an antibody (titer) blood test, and the panel physician administers only what is missing from the age-based list. This worked both at IOM and in US clinics: antibodies to chickenpox or rubella after a childhood illness exempt you from revaccination. If no records exist at all, a series (e.g. hepatitis B) is started in advance - one dose may be enough for IOM, but with an incomplete series USCIS sometimes issues an RFE. Cost-wise: the antibody test plus individual shots, which are noticeably pricier without insurance.

Community answers

The answers below are translated from the original Russian - the language of the community chats.

  • If your vaccination certificate is lost, you can have a blood test for antibodies. If the antibodies are insufficient, you may need to provide something else. You will also need to provide vaccinations according to the schedule for your age - check the list of medical examination requirements.

  • I had my medical examination for $70, of which $40 was for the antibody blood test, because the clinic did not want to accept the blue vaccination book without a certified translation. This was a student clinic. It's hard to say which state is better: some insurances are willing to cover part, some cover nothing. For those without insurance, the hepatitis B vaccination costs about $120-150 per shot.

  • For the Moscow MMC, one dose is currently sufficient, but if there are only two confirmed records in total, you may receive an RFE when arriving in the USA. I would get two doses before going to the MMC. I personally received all three doses with a one-month interval in the 0-1-2 schedule, since no children's records were preserved.

  • Before my departure from Serbia, I tested all my antibodies to avoid duplicating vaccinations. I had chickenpox as a child, and my antibodies are still off the charts - so I didn't need to get any additional vaccinations.

The answers are anonymized community experience from the public chats, not legal advice. Officers may decide similar cases differently.

Sources

All questions on: Consulate and interviewAll questions on: Process and timelinesAll questions on: Green card

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A reference page built from community experience, not legal advice. Requirements and practice change - verify on uscis.gov.

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