Umrah pilgrims face nationwide shortage of vaccine, certificate

KARACHI: The implementation of mandatory meningitis and polio vaccination requirements for Umrah pilgrims by Saudi Arabia has created significant challenges in Pakistan.

For weeks now, there’s been a nationwide shortage of meningitis vaccines, with both (S) and (P) brands out of stock. Black markets abroad charge for the vaccines at exaugurated prices, with black market rates going beyond Rs10,000.

Fake vaccination reports have created a whole different category of problems, heightening concerns about vaccine effectiveness and safety. The Ministry of National Health Services has confirmed the widespread unavailability of meningitis vaccines all over the country, with plans to import thousands of vials soon.

The process of obtaining vaccination certificates has also been cumbersome, with delays arising because there are few personnel authorized to update certifications in the NADRA system.

This explains the current backlog, together with the imposition of more levies on pilgrims by NADRA. Both health officials and the experts have called upon the government for immediate action to make authentic vaccines available and to simplify the process of certification.

They’d like the government to propose reforms that would streamline the process of vaccination, make regulation more stringent, and ease the financial burden on pilgrims. Without urgent intervention, the situation is set to worsen, affecting the Umrah pilgrimage season.

The Embassy of Saudi Arabia has stated visitors travelling on Umrah or pilgrimage are required to submit a certificate of vaccination with the quadrivalent (ACYW135) vaccine against meningitis, and proof of polio vaccination at least 6 weeks prior to departure is required for visitors from polio-endemic and re-established transmission countries.

The Saudi Ministry of Health has recommended that international pilgrims be vaccinated against seasonal influenza before arrival in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and health authorities in the countries of origin are required to provide the pilgrims with information on the symptoms, methods of infection, complications, and means of prevention of infectious diseases.