RIYADH: The Ministry of Health has announced infection-prevention measures for Haj and Umrah pilgrims who are coming from disease-prone countries.
The ministry has sent out the circular to the Foreign Affairs Ministry for circulation to Saudi embassies abroad.
Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Al-Mirghalani said the Kingdom has been carefully monitoring epidemics and infectious diseases around the globe. He pointed out that the requirements in the new circular are those stipulated by the World Health Organization to control the spread of infectious disease.
This year the focus is on diseases such as yellow fever, meningitis, seasonal influenza and polio. He said pilgrims should take mandatory vaccinations at least 10 days before their date of departure to the holy cities.
"We have prescribed some vaccines for pilgrims in view of the incidence of contagious diseases in certain countries," he said, adding that ships and aircraft carrying pilgrims should be fumigated.
Al-Mirghalani said vaccination against meningitis is mandatory for both local and foreign pilgrims as the likelihood of an outbreak is high during the Haj season because of pilgrims coming from endemic areas. He said congestion and crowding could lead to quick transmission of the disease.
Polio vaccines are also compulsory on all pilgrims from many countries, mostly on the African continent. On arrival, pilgrims from these countries will be given another oral dose of polio vaccine irrespective of their age.
The spokesman urged the pilgrims to take necessary precautions against influenza to prevent a flu attack during their stay in the Kingdom. The flu vaccine is not mandatory but it is desirable considering the present weather conditions and the susceptibility of the pilgrims to influenza. Al-Mirghalani advised that high-risk patients who have chronic ailments such as diabetes, hypertension and renal diseases to take the flu vaccine.
Al-Mirghalani said the Kingdom might introduce changes to these stipulations from time to time depending on global trends in measures to check spread of infectious diseases.
