Immunizations

United States immigration law now requires immigrant visa applicants (including adopted children) to obtain certain vaccinations prior to the issuance of an immigrant visa.

Panel physicians who conduct medical examinations on behalf of immigrant visa applicants are now required to verify that immigrant visa applicants have met the new vaccination requirement, or that it is medically inappropriate for the visa applicant to receive one or more of the listed vaccinations. Certain waivers of the vaccination requirement are available upon the recommendation of the panel physician.

Only a physician can determine which of the listed vaccinations below are medically appropriate, given the age, medical history and current medical condition of the immigrant visa applicant.

(The table below is best viewed at 800x600 resolution)

 

	Age
Birth-One Month	2-11 months	1-4 years	5-6 years	7-17 years	18-64 years	65 years or older
DTP; may include DT*	No	Yes			No
TD*	No				Yes
Hib*	No	Yes		No
Polio; IPV or OPV*	No	Yes			No
Measles or MR or MMR	No		Yes, if born after 1956				No
Mumps (if MMR not used)	No		Yes, if born after 1956				No
Rubella (if MR or MMR* not used)	No		Yes, if born after 1956				No
Hepatitis B	Yes					No
Varicella	No		Yes
Pneumococcal?	No						Yes
Influenza	No						Yes**

 

Definitions

*DT = pediatric formulation diphtheria and tetanus toxoids.

*DTP = diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis vaccine.

*TD = Adult formulation tetanus and diphtheria toxoids.

*OPV = Oral polio vaccine (live).

*IPV = Inactivated polio vaccine (killed).

*MR = Combined measles and rubella vaccine.

*MMR = Combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

*HIB = Haemophilus Influenzae Type B conjugate vaccine.

**Annually, each flu season.

 

 

For American Citizen Services (ACS) inquiries, please e-mail us at: seoul_acs@state.gov.

ACS may also be contacted by telephone at 02-397-4114 or by fax at 02-397-4101.

This is an official U.S. Government source for information on the internet. Inclusion of non-U.S. Government links or information does not imply endorsement of contents.

The U.S. Embassy is closed on both U.S. and Korean holidays.

Updated November 27, 2007