Re: Question about breastfeeding, vaccines, and green cards

[Guest guest]

What state is she in? Shouldn't she be entitled to the same exemption laws

for that state that we citizens are? I wouldn't think vaccinations would be

a legal requirement, but leave it to our government to make them think they

HAVE to have vaccines to become citizens... guess I shouldn't be too

surprised.

On Wed, May 14, 2008 at 11:44 PM, Tara <tkrey@...> wrote:

> Hi it's Debbie (aka Carioca on OD)

> This is a message my friend asked me to send to this group (she has

> too many groups already so she doesn't want to add another one right

> now).

>

> Thanks in advance!!

>

> " Would you mind asking your group if they've heard anything about if

> a breastfeeding mom getting a vaccine can transmit anything to the

> baby? And if so, if there's anything I could do to get around that

> (ie. pumping for a few days or something)? My immigration doctor

> says it's a tiny risk and it's like 99% safe but he doesn't want to

> give me those vaccines anyway, but other doctors I've talked to say

> there's no risk at all. Obviously I want what's best for Aiden, so

> I'm torn, but at the same time I do need to get my greencard ASAP

> before they change their minds or something. Besides, I can't get a

> job or anything until I get my greencard (plus I'm not illegal but

> not quite legal either, and being on hold status sucks), so that's

> another reason I kinda need it soon.

>

> --Debbie "

>

> I have a question regarding her situation too....do people from other

> countries HAVE to get vaccinated before they are given a green card??

[Guest guest]

My best friend is an immigration lawyer. I am waiting to hear back from her on

this.

Susie

>

> " Would you mind asking your group if they've heard anything about if

> a breastfeeding mom getting a vaccine can transmit anything to the

> baby? And if so, if there's anything I could do to get around that

> (ie. pumping for a few days or something)? My immigration doctor

> says it's a tiny risk and it's like 99% safe but he doesn't want to

> give me those vaccines anyway, but other doctors I've talked to say

> there's no risk at all. Obviously I want what's best for Aiden, so

> I'm torn, but at the same time I do need to get my greencard ASAP

> before they change their minds or something. Besides, I can't get a

> job or anything until I get my greencard (plus I'm not illegal but

> not quite legal either, and being on hold status sucks), so that's

> another reason I kinda need it soon.

>

> --Debbie "

>

> I have a question regarding her situation too....do people from other

> countries HAVE to get vaccinated before they are given a green card??

[Guest guest]

Hi Debbie!

I can answer all of your questions. If you are being vaccinated with

a live-virus vaccine, yes there is a chance that you may pass the

disease onto your breastfeeding infant. In fact, there is a risk of

transmission for up to 6 weeks. I just received a rubella vaccine

last year and read the literature after the fact. I do not believe

that doctors and nurses even read the vaccine literature (which is

why they supplied you false information). How small the risk of

transmission is, is up for debate. Drug companies are not exactly

known for being truthful.

http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/m/meruvax_ii/meruvax_ii_

pi.pdf (for example see page 4: Precautions for nursing mothers)

http://vaers.hhs.gov/pdf/PackageInserts.pdf (to view all vaccines)

My new sister-in-law is from Romania. She just moved to the U.S. a

few years ago. She was able to obtain a green card without any

required vaccines (vaccines were optional). I believe it depends on

the country that you are coming from. I would go to www.cdc.gov to

find out if any vaccines are required. Make sure you ask which ones

are " recommended " and which ones are " required " .

My sister-in-law was not required to get any vaccines unless she

sought citizenship (which she did beginning a few months ago and even

then she was only required to get a few vaccines). It really makes

you wonder if they do this for liability purposes. If you are not a

citizen and they mandate vaccines, are you able to sue them whereas a

U.S. Citizen cannot? I personally wouldn't recommend any vaccines if

breastfeeding (now that I know more about them) because anything the

mother is exposed to can definitely harm the baby as well via

breastmilk. They tell you to use the same rule of thumb applies when

you are breastfeeding as if you were still pregnant. So, my guess is

that these toxins and live-viruses would not be very safe for the

baby.

I hope this helps.

Dawn

>

> Hi it's Debbie (aka Carioca on OD)

> This is a message my friend asked me to send to this group (she has

> too many groups already so she doesn't want to add another one

right

> now).

>

> Thanks in advance!!

>

>

> " Would you mind asking your group if they've heard anything about

if

> a breastfeeding mom getting a vaccine can transmit anything to the

> baby? And if so, if there's anything I could do to get around that

> (ie. pumping for a few days or something)? My immigration doctor

> says it's a tiny risk and it's like 99% safe but he doesn't want to

> give me those vaccines anyway, but other doctors I've talked to say

> there's no risk at all. Obviously I want what's best for Aiden, so

> I'm torn, but at the same time I do need to get my greencard ASAP

> before they change their minds or something. Besides, I can't get

a

> job or anything until I get my greencard (plus I'm not illegal but

> not quite legal either, and being on hold status sucks), so that's

> another reason I kinda need it soon.

>

> --Debbie "

>

> I have a question regarding her situation too....do people from

other

> countries HAVE to get vaccinated before they are given a green

card??

>

[Guest guest]

> My best friend is an immigration lawyer. I am waiting to hear back

from her on this.

> Susie

I can't wait to hear the answer. It's been too long since I went

through this (got my green card in 1995 and citizenship a few years

ago) but of course I had all my vaccines from Poland so I didn't have

to get any. DH went through this a few years ago as well but I think he

only had to have a TB test. Again, he was fully vaxed from Europe as

well.

Here is what I found on the CDC site - not very encouraging and very

maddening. They DO NOT consider breastfeeding to be a cause not to have

vaccines. ARGHH And of course they do not list any way to NOT have

them. Even if you're pregnant, you can still have vaccines !!! And they

now require the flu vaccine if you're over 50 !!

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/pdf/ti-03/ti-iz-cs-clrd.pdf

I do hope the lawyer can help.

Magda

[Guest guest]

Okay, this really bugged me so I googled. Here is what I found -

definitely more encouraging, but a lawyer will not only be helpful, but

I would venture as far as to say required in this case. I'm sure you

already know, but INS is not in the least bit helpful, but very quick

to enforce their standards.

http://www.vaclib.org/legal/immigration.htm#immigration

Good luck to you !!

Magda

[Guest guest]

I think the exemptions wouldn't apply since they're only for school/daycare

entry.

But I wonder, too, if vaccinations are a legal requirement for citizenship. It's

possible they are just recommended and someone is assuming that's the same as a

legal requirement.

Winnie

Re: Question about breastfeeding, vaccines, and green

cards

Vaccinations

> What state is she in? Shouldn't she be entitled to the same

> exemption laws

> for that state that we citizens are? I wouldn't think

> vaccinations would be

> a legal requirement, but leave it to our government to make them

> think they

> HAVE to have vaccines to become citizens... guess I shouldn't be too

> surprised.

>

>

>

>

> On Wed, May 14, 2008 at 11:44 PM, Tara wrote:

>

> > Hi it's Debbie (aka Carioca on OD)

> > This is a message my friend asked me to send to this group

> (she has

> > too many groups already so she doesn't want to add another one right

> > now).

> >

> > Thanks in advance!!

> >

> > " Would you mind asking your group if they've heard anything

> about if

> > a breastfeeding mom getting a vaccine can transmit anything to the

> > baby? And if so, if there's anything I could do to get around that

> > (ie. pumping for a few days or something)? My immigration doctor

> > says it's a tiny risk and it's like 99% safe but he doesn't

> want to

> > give me those vaccines anyway, but other doctors I've talked

> to say

> > there's no risk at all. Obviously I want what's best for

> Aiden, so

> > I'm torn, but at the same time I do need to get my greencard ASAP

> > before they change their minds or something. Besides, I can't

> get a

> > job or anything until I get my greencard (plus I'm not illegal but

> > not quite legal either, and being on hold status sucks), so that's

> > another reason I kinda need it soon.

> >

> > --Debbie "

> >

> > I have a question regarding her situation too....do people

> from other

> > countries HAVE to get vaccinated before they are given a green

> card??

>

>

[Guest guest]

> I checked the info here. Am I understanding this correctly--they have

to pay $545 just to file the exemption form?

>

> Winnie

>

That was my understanding, but I would definitely have a lawyer look

into it. If the form is filed wrong, you have to refile and repay. That

$545 might include the whole procedure, though I think it was much more

in DH's case...

I did not have to provide any proof of vaccinations for citizenship -

that is different from green card (legal residence).

Magda

[Guest guest]

My friend Debbie just sent me a message saying that she forgot to add

that it's the MMR and Varicella (or possibly just the Varicella, but

probably both) vaccines that she would have to get if that helps!

Thanks for all the responses so far!! This is quite an interesting

question!

>

> > I checked the info here. Am I understanding this correctly--they

have

> to pay $545 just to file the exemption form?

> >

> > Winnie

> >

> That was my understanding, but I would definitely have a lawyer look

> into it. If the form is filed wrong, you have to refile and repay.

That

> $545 might include the whole procedure, though I think it was much

more

> in DH's case...

> I did not have to provide any proof of vaccinations for citizenship -

> that is different from green card (legal residence).

> Magda

>

[Guest guest]

Here is another email she just sent to me after I forwarded the

responses from this group to her:

" Thank you Tara! I really appreciate this. You are so helpful. =)

Some of the responses surprise me. From my understanding, if

applying for a greencard one is required to have certain vaccines, I

doubt that the requirements change from state to state since it's

INS. Maybe some of those other people didn't have to receive them

because they had already had them from their home countries? I just

found my old immunization record from Brazil and one from Sweden (I

was born in Brazil but grew up mostly in Sweden; dad's side of the

family is Swedish) and according to that I've already had the MMR

vaccine, so I doubt I need that one again. Oh, and get this, I also

had to get a TB test and they drew blood for an HIV and syphilis

test. How strange is that, to test for HIV and syphilis if someone's

applying for a greencard? I don't get it...

Anyhow, thank you again and keep sending me the replies. They're

really insightful. =)

--Debbie "

I found it VERY interested that she was required to get an HIV and

syphilis test. Why on earth would they need her to get those tests

done applying for a green card?

> >

> > Hi it's Debbie (aka Carioca on OD)

> > This is a message my friend asked me to send to this group (she

has

> > too many groups already so she doesn't want to add another one

> right

> > now).

> >

> > Thanks in advance!!

> >

> >

> > " Would you mind asking your group if they've heard anything about

> if

> > a breastfeeding mom getting a vaccine can transmit anything to

the

> > baby? And if so, if there's anything I could do to get around

that

> > (ie. pumping for a few days or something)? My immigration doctor

> > says it's a tiny risk and it's like 99% safe but he doesn't want

to

> > give me those vaccines anyway, but other doctors I've talked to

say

> > there's no risk at all. Obviously I want what's best for Aiden,

so

> > I'm torn, but at the same time I do need to get my greencard ASAP

> > before they change their minds or something. Besides, I can't

get

> a

> > job or anything until I get my greencard (plus I'm not illegal

but

> > not quite legal either, and being on hold status sucks), so

that's

> > another reason I kinda need it soon.

> >

> > --Debbie "

> >

> > I have a question regarding her situation too....do people from

> other

> > countries HAVE to get vaccinated before they are given a green

> card??

> >

>

[Guest guest]

--- Debbie,

My husband is from Canada and had to have childhood immunization proof,

as well as a TB test and negative chest x-ray, before getting a green

card.

My sister's partner is from Ireland and her mom had lost her vaccine

record, so she had to get the ENTIRE VACCINE SERIES in ONE DOCTOR VISIT

to get her green card. UNBELIEVABLE.

Melinda in Massachusetts

[Guest guest]

> I found it VERY interested that she was required to get an HIV and

> syphilis test. Why on earth would they need her to get those tests

> done applying for a green card?

>

I figure they don't want any more people spreading those diseases to

others than there already are in the US.

Magda