UAE Haj tour operators urged to make sure pilgrims have vaccinations

Haj operators in Sharjah meet with health professionals to discuss vaccinations ahead of this year's pilgrimmage.

A man is given a flu shot before the Haj. Pilgrimage operators have been urged to ensure clients are vaccinated.

SHARJAH // About 25 Haj tour operators met Sharjah Medical Zone officials yesterday to discuss vaccinations for this year's pilgrimage.

Dr Khalifa Al Qati, director of the Sharjah Preventive Medicine Centre, urged operators to ensure their pilgrims had the travel vaccinations two weeks before leaving.

Dr Al Qati said the Ministry of Health had already distributed vaccines to medical centres across the country and ordered them to be administered free to pilgrims.

Haj pilgrims must have vaccinations for diseases including meningitis and seasonal influenza.

Dr Al Qati said the seasonal influenza shot was especially important for those with chronic diseases.

Dr Ameena Hashim, the director of health education at the medical zone, urged all pilgrims to visit their nearest medical centre for tests so their health status could be displayed on their Haj cards.

He said this was particularly advisable for those suffering lung, heart, liver and kidney diseases, diabetes and asthma.

The Association of British Hujjaj has warned pilgrims to take precautions against communicable diseases.

It warned diabetics about the high risk of hypoglycaemia due to the physical activities of the Haj, and said there was danger of contracting hepatitis from some barbers around the Holy places who repeatedly used the same razors.

On Monday the Saudi health minister Abdullah Al Rabeeah said preventive measures had been taken to deal with any epidemic that might break out.

Mr Al Rabeeah said the spread of a virus similar to the deadly Sars virus was limited.

His reassurance follows a World Health Organisation warning after a man died from the virus in Saudi, and a Qatari became seriously ill from it after a trip to the kingdom.