Saudi issues guidelines for Haj pilgrims
JEDDAH: A guideline for Haj pilgrims has been issued by the Saudi foreign ministry in the context of swine flu, a local newspaper reported Saturday.
The guideline requires pilgrims to be vaccinated against seasonal influenza before their departure to Saudi Arabia, with a certificate as a proof for vaccination and should have been administered within a period that does not exceed more than two weeks prior to their departure.
If the vaccine is made available before the pilgrimage, pilgrims are also required to get vaccinated against H1N1 virus.
It is also a pre-condition that the pilgrims’ countries of origin should have an awareness programme about swine flu. The Suadi authorities have also asked people with chronic diseases, pregnant women, those aged above 65 and children under 12 to abstain from performing Haj this year.
This week the World Health Organization said the current strain of the A(H1N1) flu virus posed no serious health risk.
More than two million pilgrims from around the world will head to the kingdom during the Haj season and Saudi officials say they must prove they have taken precautions against seasonal flu.
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