Saudi Arabia has made it compulsory for all Haj pilgrims from abroad to present an official certificate proving they have been vaccinated against swine flu, meningitis and seasonal flu. The Kingdom has also banned children under 12 and men over 65 from performing the pilgrimage.
Quarantine facilities have been established in arrival lounges at airports for those displaying symptoms of the H1N1 virus.
King Abdul Aziz International Airport at Jeddah has installed body temperature sensors and increased its medical staff by a fifth. All air, land and sea inlets have increased manpower and installed machines to check suspected swine flu cases.
Health centers have been established near the airports at Jeddah and Madinah to treat an estimated 500 patients showing early symptoms of the virus.
The Kingdom has bought 10 million doses of vaccine to give to pilgrims who are not protected against the H1N1 virus and increased its stock of Tamiflu drug by a fifth, double the quantity recommended by the World Health Organization.
The health ministry has also introduced, for the first time this year, three labs in Makkah and another one in the holy sites to automatically monitor any further swine flu outbreaks. It has mobilized 15,000 employees to provide health services in Makkah, Madinah, Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah. The ministry has also provided a number of consultants in preventive medicine.
It is compulsory for military and security personnel as well as laborers to be vaccinated against swine flu during the Haj. The Ministry of Haj has also made it obligatory for local companies and establishments to vaccinate all domestic pilgrims, provide doctors in hotels and other accommodation facilities, establish medical centers for treating swine flu and provide medical teams at Haj camps to deal with emergency cases. About 240 companies and establishments will provide services to over 230,000 local pilgrims. The ministries of Haj and interior launched an awareness campaign engaging citizens and expatriates wishing to perform Haj about obtaining the required permits. Haj companies will not provide services to domestic pilgrims not carrying Haj permits.
The Interior Ministry has imposed a tight control on all the inlets to prevent pilgrims being smuggled in. The ministry promised severe punishments for drivers caught transporting illegal pilgrims. More than 63,000 security personnel will be working during the Haj to maintain the safety of pilgrims and organize traffic movement.
The Civil Defense has completed all necessary preparations to efficiently deal with natural disasters and fires. The Makkah Municipality has signed contracts with specialized companies to expand and improve the sewage system.
