Hajj is one of the two holy pilgrimages of Islamic Religion i.e. the obligatory one. Hundreds of thousands of Muslims travel every year for it with hajj packages. So, when such a huge crowd of pilgrims is present inside Haramain, health and safety become a priority. For which, the Saudi Authorities present there have various guidelines to be imposed on the pilgrims. Among them, getting necessary vaccinations before your arrival to the kingdom remains the most prominent one.
Pilgrims arriving in the region should not only arrive after receiving the vaccination shots within the prescribed time but also, they must possess the vaccination certificate as it can be asked to show the proof of vaccination. On the other hand, if anyone still arrives in the kingdom without being vaccinated, he/she will have to get vaccinated on the spot before they are permitted entry to Masjid-al-Harm for holy rituals.
Here are some of the important vaccinations required for Hajj travel.
1. Meningococcal Meningitis.
Hajj pilgrims, regardless of their region of travel, necessarily need to have a vaccination against Meningococcal Meningitis. The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah are very strict about it and they might even cancel your visa application if you do not have a vaccination for it.
The vaccine against Meningococcal Meningitis should neither be administered by the pilgrims more than three years ago nor given less than 10 days prior to travel. Consequently, adults and children (over the age of 2) need to have one dose of the ‘Quadrivalent Polysaccharide Vaccine’.
2. Poliomyelitis.
Pilgrims who are traveling from the polio epidemic regions or from countries that have a re-established transmission must take one dose of ‘oral polio vaccination’ before their departure. This vaccination also remains necessary for everyone; regardless of their age group.
Proof of the vaccination required must be at least 6 weeks before the date of departure. Despite this, the travelers would also have to receive an additional dose of oral polio vaccination on arrival in Saudi Arabia.
3. Yellow Fever.
This vaccination is only a requirement for those pilgrims who are traveling from countries where yellow fever exists as a prominent disease. The person needs to have received the vaccination shots within a minimum of 10 days before its travel to the kingdom. The list of the countries that come under this vaccination requirement is present on the Saudi Arabian embassy’s website.
4. Influenza.
The Ministry of Health there also recommends hajj pilgrims for getting a vaccination against seasonal influenza; particularly for those who have a higher chance of catching such diseases. For example,
• Pregnant women.
• Children under the age of 5 years.
• Elderly people.
• People with allergies.
• Pilgrims who have health conditions like HIV/AIDS, chronic heart or lung diseases, and asthma.
Remember that, the type of vaccination(s) required for every individual pilgrim will differ depending upon region of travel i.e., different for different countries. Therefore, it’s advised that you get yourself educated on the necessary vaccination(s) required for yourself.
