Meningitis vaccine not required for Umrah pilgrims heading to Saudi Arabia

The decision follows the withdrawal of a previous vaccine mandate, which was set to take effect from Feb 10

Saudi Arabia has lifted the requirement for meningitis vaccination for Umrah pilgrims travelling to the country.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation, or GACA, announced the update in a notification issued on Thursday, Khaleej Times, the United Arab Emirates’ English-language daily, reported.

Earlier, the meningitis vaccine had been made mandatory for Umrah travellers, with the requirement set to take effect from Feb 10.

That directive has now been revoked, and airlines have been informed through the latest notification.

Following the initial mandate, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Religious Affairs took measures to facilitate vaccinations for travellers wishing to go to Saudi Arabia on Umrah and travel visas.

A total of 80 centres, including civil surgeon offices in 64 districts, were designated for administering the vaccine and issuing certificates.

In addition, the Management Information System, or MIS, branch of the Directorate General of Health Services, or DGHS, set up an online registration system and a vaccine certification verification platform (vaxepi.gov.bd) to facilitate the process.

According to the earlier directive, pilgrims planning to travel to Saudi Arabia for Umrah or visiting for religious purposes needed to take the vaccine at least 10 days before departure.

However, children under the age of one were exempt from this requirement.