Hi everyone, I’m just trying to figure out a timeline of when i could’ve gotten hep b. So i was adopted and moved to the US. Does immigration require testing for antibodies or do they just let you get the vaccine? Because i’m genuinely clueless how it slipped under the radar until 7y after i moved to the US. I would love if someone knowledgeable on this could help me please
Would love a bit of input from our US colleagues here (@CFreeland, @chari.cohen, @Bansah1), but my understanding is that immigration does not require testing of Hep B. We have several people on the forum who had moved to the US and did not know that had Hep B until years after.
Thomas
In the past they checked for HBsAb at least that was the case for me. They didn’t deny me a visa because of a negative antibody test and recommended the vaccine, but I was already infected so vaccination didn’t do me any good.
Things are different now, so i am unsure what the policy is regarding hepatitis B and immigration.
Bansah1
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Hi - @ilovejameshetfield generally testing is not required for immigration for hepatitis B but they do require evidence of immunization- I believe if they do not have that from someone they might administer the first dose. So if you got a first dose it might not have provided full protection. Unfortunately, based on what I know from working with folks - it might also depend on the pathway for immigration. I believe each might have different rules and regulations and I am not confident that they are followed well at least for hepatitis B. Regardless, discrimination as @Bansah1 shared is illegal. I hope this helps a bit!
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