In 2025, Saudi Arabia will enforce stringent health protocols concerning Umrah pilgrims – shaking up vaccinations to save millions of worshippers essentially as a health and safety measure.
According to the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority, it requires pilgrims to be vaccinated against meningococcal meningitis, polio, yellow fever, Covid-19, and seasonal flu.
With the new regulations introduced, meningitis vaccination will become mandatory for all international travelers, while polio vaccination will remain mandatory for those coming from countries that are polio-affected, such as Pakistan, Nigeria, and Afghanistan. Vaccination against yellow fever will also be required for pilgrims arriving from Angola, Nigeria, Brazil, and Congo. Vaccination against COVID-19 and influenza as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) will become mandatory now. Additionally, pilgrims are advised to take vaccines for tetanus, measles, among others.
The Civil Aviation Authority advised that the pilgrims should have proper health records, including vaccination certificates, while traveling. Chronic ailment patients should carry their medical history plus enough medication in the original packaging.
Certain protective methods should be applied, such as wearing proper clothing, using insect repellents DEET, IR3535, or Icaridin to take preventive measures against mosquito-borne disease, e.g. Zika virus or dengue.
These stipulations exemplify the ongoing commitment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the health and wellness of visitors being received to Makkah and Madinah to perform Umrah.
