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International adoption
is a wonderful way of expanding your family and
providing a caring, loving home to a child in need.
Over 20,000 infants and children are adopted from
abroad each year by citizens of the Un ited
States. Infants and children from Asia, Central and
South America, and Eastern Europe account for over
90% of
international adoptions. To complete an
international adoption and bring an
infant or a child to the United States, prospective
parents must fulfill the requirements set forth by
the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS)
formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Service
[INS]), the foreign country where the infant or
child resides, and sometimes the state of residence
of the adoptive parent(s).* If you are just
beginning the process of determining if
international adoption is right for you, there is a
step-by-step guide that can be accessed from the
website of the Joint Council for International
Children’s Services at
http://www.jcics.org/International_Adoption.htm.
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For most of you visiting
this page, you are probably well into the process of
international adoption and have found that you and
your family members need to be up-to-date on all of
the vaccines that are normally recommended for
children, adolescents and adults. You also are aware
that you may need certain “travel vaccines” before
you make the trip to visit your adoptive child or to
bring him/her back to their new home!
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We are happy to offer
you a FREE consultation to help determine you
and your family’s vaccine needs. Please obtain
a copy of your vaccination record(s) from your
current or previous healthcare provider(s) that will
accurately reflect the vaccinations you have
received in the past. Then give us a call to talk
about your specific needs. You may also access the
Childhood/Adolescent/Adult Vaccine Schedules and the
International Travelers pages on this website to
compare your vaccine history to what is recommended
for you.
At SHOTS, etc., we know that most health
insurance plans do not cover adult vaccinations of
any kind. It is still worth a phone call to your
plan representative once you have determined your
vaccine needs to see if there is any coverage
available. If so, you may either obtain them through
your primary care physician, your local health
department or from SHOTS, etc. with reimbursement to
you as an out-of –network expense. Please keep in
mind that most primary care physicians do not
administer most travel-related vaccines. At SHOTS,
etc., we provide ALL recommended vaccinations for
adolescents and adults and travel vaccinations for
everyone ages 2 and older. Please consult with your
child’s pediatrician for all of their regular
childhood vaccination needs.
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We look forward to helping you and your family stay
healthy during this most exciting time of your life!
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*This information
was taken from the CDC Yellow Book Information for
International Travelers. |
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