New Delhi: All Haj pilgrims from India, Afghanistan and Pakistan, regardless of age and vaccination status, should receive at least one dose of Oral Polio Vaccine prior to departure for Riyadh announced Saudi Arabian government on Thursday.
After the decision was conveyed to India’s Health Ministry, all state governments are going to make necessary arrangements at the health facilities to give oral Polio vaccine and issue vaccination certificates to Haj pilgrims.
The State Governments have also been requested to set up polio vaccination booths at the airports from where the flights for Saudi Arabia leave. This would ensure that the pilgrims, who are unaware of the decision, are given the OPV before departure.
Flights carrying Haj pilgrims from airports at Aurangabad, Nagpur, Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, Srinagar, Bangalore, Calicut, Jaipur, Kolkatta, Guwahati, Patna, Chennai, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad will have immunization booths to ensure that all the travelers get vaccine prior to departure.
The campaign is expected to boost the immunity of travelers, especially young children, who are more susceptible to infection, and help stop the spread of the disease.
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