Getting Vaccines Before Your Immigration Exam

You are not required to receive all your vaccines at your immigration medical exam. If you know you are missing certain vaccines, you can receive them at your primary care physician's office, a pharmacy, a public health clinic, or any other healthcare provider before your immigration medical exam. As long as you bring documentation of the vaccines received, the civil surgeon can review your records and determine whether additional vaccines are still needed.

Why Getting Vaccines Early Can Help

Getting vaccines before your immigration medical exam offers several advantages:

• Reduces the number of vaccines needed at your exam appointment
• Allows time to start multi-dose series (such as hepatitis B) well in advance
• Gives you time to recover from any side effects before your exam
• May reduce the overall cost if vaccines are covered by your insurance
• Simplifies the exam appointment and may reduce the time needed

Important Documentation Requirements

If you receive vaccines before your immigration medical exam, it is critical to obtain proper documentation. The civil surgeon needs to verify that the vaccines were administered correctly. Documentation should include the vaccine name, date administered, lot number, and the name and contact information of the administering provider.

Keep all vaccination records in a safe place and bring them to your immigration medical exam. Records from pharmacies, clinics, and healthcare providers are all acceptable as long as they contain the required information.

Planning for Multi-Dose Vaccine Series

Some required vaccines involve multiple doses administered over weeks or months. If you are missing these vaccines, starting the series early is strongly recommended. For example, the standard hepatitis B series takes six months to complete. If you start the series before your immigration medical exam, you may be able to complete it before your Form I-693 needs to be finalized. Our office can advise you on the timing of multi-dose series.

What the Civil Surgeon Will Do at Your Exam

At your immigration medical exam, the civil surgeon will review all vaccination records you bring — including records of vaccines received elsewhere — and determine which, if any, additional vaccines are still needed. The civil surgeon will administer any missing vaccines at the appointment. You do not need to receive vaccines at our office if you have already received them and have proper documentation.