International Adoptions

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 United 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 International Children's Services at http://www.jointcouncil.org/.

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!
 
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 some 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. 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.
 
 

We look forward to helping you and your family stay healthy during this most exciting time of your life!
 
*This information was taken from the CDC Yellow Book Information for International Travelers.