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Health Exams For Z Visa

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moon over parma

Re: Health Exams For Z Visa
« Reply #15 on: June 19, 2007, 07:54:53 AM »
Quote from: contemporarydog on June 19, 2007, 06:39:27 AM
2000 USD just to get a healthcheck that wasn't accepted in China?  That's madness.


Welcome to the miserable state of basic health care in the United States. It's dire. Quality of care is good more often than not - if you can afford it, but don't tell that to rich dead guys like Andy Warhol adn Jim henson (both victims of malpractice and shoddy treatement and both very rich), but the business end is sometimes literal murder (especially with HMOs). It's the X-ray that will break my bank. Bloodwork  - I could probably get the test at a free clinic. granted, it's like walking into a triage during the Vietnam war, with all fo the sick and wounded, and you spend a good 8 hours at the local one just getting to see the doctor, but it's affordable. No X-rays or serious stuff. That's always referred out.

RD, were you insured when you got your health check in the U. S. for China? How many years ago was it?

At least similar, illogical, b. s. burocratic Confusion-ism went on in Taiwan and I'm on my toes about it; and there's a good forum to get feedback about it. Again, C-dog, ladies, non-Dave, R. D., Eagle, everybody, etc. - thanks for your help. bfbfbfbfbf
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Raoul F. Duke

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Re: Health Exams For Z Visa
« Reply #16 on: June 19, 2007, 08:02:54 AM »
Moon, I was not insured when I got the test. It was just before I left the USA; I wasn't employed and therefore not covered. The test series I got at home was very simple and not terribly expensive. Definitely cost less than the asasasasas Japanese encephalitis immunizations.
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moon over parma

Re: Health Exams For Z Visa
« Reply #17 on: June 19, 2007, 08:15:13 AM »
Quote from: Raoul Duke on June 19, 2007, 08:02:54 AM
Moon, I was not insured when I got the test. It was just before I left the USA; I wasn't employed and therefore not covered. The test series I got at home was very simple and not terribly expensive. Definitely cost less than the asasasasas Japanese encephalitis immunizations.

Would you recommend waiting on the Japanese encephalitis shots until I arrive in China? Like maybe get them a. s. a. p., but within China? I'm already setting up the hep shots, typhoid, and malaria. My hip hurts thinking about this, since my wallet is being incinerated by these neccessities as we speak!
« Last Edit: June 19, 2007, 06:14:51 PM by moon over parma »
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Lotus Eater

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Re: Health Exams For Z Visa
« Reply #18 on: June 19, 2007, 04:16:23 PM »
Depends on how much you believe the shots will be genuine, how close to a major hospital/teaching centre/ big city you will be.
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Raoul F. Duke

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Re: Health Exams For Z Visa
« Reply #19 on: June 19, 2007, 10:28:35 PM »
It is cheaper to do them in China, but as Lotus indicates they're more reliable in our home countries.
China uses a different vaccine for JE but indications are that it seems to work.

Most immunizations in China are gotten from official clinics set up for the purpose. I sorta kinda almost trust what I get there. Sure, I have solid faith in Chinese officials' propensity to be dishonest and incompetent, but I also know how much they fear our becoming deathly ill and dying here. It's very, very inconvenient for them indeed when this happens.

So get it one side or the other, but do get it. Tourists don't often need JE shots, but I do recommend them for all long-term residents unless you're definitely well clear of the JE zone. (Map in the Library!)

The other shots...get them at home. Be protected from the moment you step off the plane. Especially the various hepatitis strains...hep is rampant in China, and since it's a series of shots it takes some time to achieve full protection.
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Raoul F. Duke

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Re: Health Exams For Z Visa
« Reply #20 on: June 19, 2007, 10:34:06 PM »
Oh, one more...
I noticed you're getting malaria protection. Most people really don't need this one unless they venture into malaria hot zones or will be heading into deep rural country. When and if this happens, effective protection can be gotten on an as-needed basis. And taken orally.

I do tend to favor the side of caution...but 99.9999% of us really don't need continuous malaria protection in China.

There's really good info available on all this via our Library...
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"Vicodin and dumplings...it's a great combination!" (Anthony Bourdain, in Harbin)

"Here in China we aren't just teaching...
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anya

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Re: Health Exams For Z Visa
« Reply #21 on: June 19, 2007, 10:35:39 PM »
Interesting how things are so different for everybody when coming here. I also didn't have to do a medical before I came to China (my visa was issued in Vancouver), and my employer paid for all residence-related expenses. Also, because I am on a contract, the employer is paying for travel insurance.

As for shots... I agree that it depends on what you are planning to do and where you will be in China. I am covered for hep and typhoid, but I did not get malaria or JE.
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Lotus Eater

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Re: Health Exams For Z Visa
« Reply #22 on: June 19, 2007, 10:54:33 PM »
I travel all over China - you don't know what you will be likely to be doing until you get here.  If you're lucky you'll be invited to farms, villages, all sorts of out of the way places.  If you have one adventurous bone in your body you won't be hanging around the big cities drinking in foreign hangouts (although if you do then you'll need a whole different lot of vaccinations!  afafafafaf) but hitting the road for holidays.

So get everything you can.  It's too late to organise a great holiday to the wild places then go - oh my vaccination!
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Raoul F. Duke

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Re: Health Exams For Z Visa
« Reply #23 on: June 19, 2007, 11:10:16 PM »
Very true indeed...except in the case of malaria. I don't think a long lead time is required if the need for it ever does in fact come up.
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"Vicodin and dumplings...it's a great combination!" (Anthony Bourdain, in Harbin)

"Here in China we aren't just teaching...
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George

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Re: Health Exams For Z Visa
« Reply #24 on: June 20, 2007, 01:58:30 AM »
Malaria protection is usually oral, and as needed. Start taking tablets some time before you go, and continue some time after you leave. I spent 6 years in New Guinea and after the first three years stopped taking my medication.........Maybe that's my problem today, but I never got malaria.
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Lotus Eater

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Re: Health Exams For Z Visa
« Reply #25 on: June 20, 2007, 03:34:30 AM »
Best thing you can do for malaria is to use heavy duty insect repellent - DEET or Mozzieguard.  Sleep with anti-mozzie things working - coils, burners etc.
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moon over parma

Re: Health Exams For Z Visa
« Reply #26 on: June 20, 2007, 10:36:21 AM »
Checked in with the pricing for the shots. Hep A + B, Typhoid and Japanese encephalitis will run me over $400 U. S.

It's a bitter bullet I'll take, but the pre-China health cert that is total f'n bullshit because it won't count once I get tehre will literally financially cripple me, should they ask for one.
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moon over parma

Re: Health Exams For Z Visa
« Reply #27 on: June 20, 2007, 01:16:04 PM »
Quote from: Missi on June 20, 2007, 12:29:07 PM
Talk to your Chinese Consulate that you are getting your VISA from.  Ask them to suggest a doctor that can do the entry medical.  Once you get this ensure that the doctor gives you results in English and Chinese and gives you the offical stamp.  Maybe this will help.  And then you shouldn't need to do two.

Hi Missi. Thanks for the advice. My problem isn't doing two medical checks. I don't mind that. It's the fact that - in the U. S. - one medical check will be very, very expensive. If it was affordable (under $500 U. S.) then I wouldn't be so concerned. I'm not afraid of hospitals or procedures I understand (and I understand what the folks in China want on this and don't find it unreasonable to get one upon arrival. At least they don't ask for a stool sample! In Taiwan I had to do that twice. NO FUN! bqbqbqbqbq) it's just the expense on the American end for what essentially would be useless.
the nearest emabssy would be in NYC (and even then, ti's a hell of a ways away from me), and I'm fairly certain that they'd only offer up clinics in NYC. Results don't always happen overnight, and to go back and forth just for that would probably be more expensive than getting the throw-away one in my neck of the woods (no $120 round trip tickets to go, get the tests, go home, come back, pick it up, go to embassy, go home, and if I stayed in NYC overnight then it'd be at least $150 for that, on top of the x ray, blood test, etc. expenses... Major f'n headache!!!). .

Thanks though.
 
« Last Edit: June 20, 2007, 01:20:51 PM by moon over parma »
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dragonsaver

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Re: Health Exams For Z Visa
« Reply #28 on: June 20, 2007, 10:34:03 PM »
I got a medical in Canada.  Had another one in China as soon as I arrived.  Had another medical in Wuxi before coming to Dalian last year.  Uni paid it.

This year I had my visa renewed and no medical.
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solongtinik

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Re: Health Exams For Z Visa
« Reply #29 on: June 20, 2007, 10:54:50 PM »
back in the PI, all overseas workers are required to have their medical exam before they can have our visa. it costs us a fortune also since we have to take the med exam from the accredited hospitals by the embassy...


and when i got here, i still had to take the med exam.. (i paid for it)

the new FT in my school, who's an irish, told me it's not a requirement for them in their place...
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