Required Vaccinations
The law requires that would-be immigrants be vaccinated against the following diseases: Mumps, measles, rubella ("German measles"), polio, tetanus and diphtheria toxoids, pertussis, influenza type b, hepatitis B, and any other "vaccine preventable" diseases that may be recommended by the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The ACIP guidelines also include varicella, haemophilus influenza type B and pneumococcal vaccines.
The law requires that aliens submit documentation that they have received vaccinations against each of the above diseases. It is expected that, in particular, documentation of the Hepatitis B vaccine may cause problems and delays since this vaccine is unavailable in many countries and is administered in two shots given six months apart.
Waivers
The law allows an alien to apply for a waiver if: (A) The alien later receives the vaccines that were initially missing during the examination; (B) The panel physician or civil surgeon determines that administering the vaccine(s) would not be medically appropriate; or (C) Compliance with the vaccination requirement would be contrary to the alien's religious beliefs or moral convictions. To date, INS regulations implementing this final waiver ground have yet to be published.