Haj: Health requirements

Haj: Health requirements Arab News

The Ministry of Health has issued health requirements to be met for Haj season of 1430 (2009) by pilgrims. Swine flu • Pilgrims must not be over 65 years or under 12. • Anyone suffering from chronic ailments such as heart, liver or kidney disease, or complications from diabetes, obesity or any other diseases should not perform Haj. • Pilgrims this year must have had a swine flu vaccination two weeks before traveling to the holy places. Poliomyelitis • Children under 15 years of age arriving from polio-virus-transmitting countries — Uganda, Kenya, Benin, Angola, Togo, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Central African Republic, Chad, Ivory Coast, Ghana, DR Congo, Ethiopia and Nepal — are required to have been vaccinated with oral polio vaccine at least six weeks before arrival in the Kingdom and provide a certificate proving it. They will be given another dose of oral polio vaccine upon arrival in the Kingdom. • Pilgrims of all ages arriving from Poliomyelitis-endemic countries — Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sudan — are required to have been vaccinated with oral polio vaccine at least six weeks before arrival in the Kingdom and provide a certificate proving it. They will also be given another dose of oral polio vaccine upon arrival in the Kingdom. Meningococcal meningitis • All pilgrims, adults well as children, arriving from outside the country must have a valid certificate of vaccination against meningococcal meningitis, issued not less than 10 days before arrival and not exceeding three years. • Those coming from the following African countries listed below must get from the health authorities in Saudi Arabia single 500mg dose of ciprofloxacin in order to reduce potential microbe carrying rate: Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Niger, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Eritrea, Gambia, Senegal, Central African Republic. Yellow fever • All pilgrims arriving from countries with endemic yellow fever (see below) must present a valid health certificate of vaccination against the disease that complies with International Health Regulations. The certificate must show that its holder was vaccinated not less than 10 days prior to arrival in Saudi Arabia and no more than 10 years. • In accordance with international health regulations, all aircraft, ships and the other modes of transport arriving from infected countries are required to present a valid certificate confirming the extermination of mosquitoes on-board. • Yellow fever-endemic countries are: Angola, Benin, Sudan, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Burundi, Chad, Uganda, Congo, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Ethiopia, DR Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Togo, Kenya, Liberia, Saُ Tomé and Prيncipe, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Mali, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Brazil, Bolivia, Suriname, Peru, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina and Paraguay. Seasonal influenza virus vaccine All pilgrims, both from within and outside Saudi Arabia, are recommended to have been vaccinated against seasonal influenza virus before they commence Haj, especially those most vulnerable to complications, such as the elderly and persons with chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes or renal, liver and cardiac problems.