Pilgrims Need Flu Certificates for Mecca Hajj
Pilgrims planning to travel to Mecca for the annual Hajj will now have to produce valid flu certificates, Travel Weekly has written.
This is the decree of the World Health Organization and the Saudi Arabian government, in an attempt to reduce the likelihood of flu spreading. The annual Hajj pilgrimage is part of the five tenets of the Muslim faith and this year, takes place from 25-29 November. The Umrah tradition is also a pilgrimage but on a lesser scale which can be undertaken at any time of the year.
Pilgrims have to produce a certificate that says they are vaccinated against seasonal flu if they want to be issued with a visa to visit the holy city of Mecca. Each year, hundreds of thousands of devoted Muslims visit the city to pay their respects to the Prophet Muhammad, and with such a large gathering of people centred in one place, the risks to health are heightened.
The rules also include swine flu: travellers have to have a certificate to say that they are vaccinated against the pandemic flu, provided that the vaccination is available to them, and both certificates have to be held for two weeks before travel. This will ensure that travellers are not still contagious.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a recommendation that those who are unfit to travel should postpone trips to Mecca this year. This category includes children, pregnant women, elderly and those with chronic diseases.
As reported on the TravelMole website, travellers planning the trip can get a full list of health procedures from the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia’s website online.
Travel Industry news posted by Marilyn on 16 September 2009
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