Dubai
Pilgrims going for the Haj pilgrimage should take the necessary vaccines at least 10 days before the date of travel, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) said on Thursday.
The official UAE mission to Haj is leaving for Saudi Arabia on September 13 and many pilgrims are also travelling around the same time.
The advisory came on Thursday during a two-hour live session on DHA’s Twitter page (@DHA_Dubai) and Instagram account (DHA_Dubai). Officials also shared other health tips for pilgrims.
Dr Sawsan Al Nahas, specialist registrar at the DHA’s Traveller’s Clinic, said: “The most important step for any Haj pilgrim is to avail of the necessary vaccines. Ideally, the vaccines should be taken four to six weeks before travel, or at least ten days before the date of travel.”
She added the meningococcal vaccine is mandatory for all pilgrims, while the flu vaccine is recommended. Also, the pneumonia vaccine is highly recommended for patients with compromised immunity, the elderly and those with chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart problems, etc.
The yellow fever vaccine is mandatory for people from some countries in Africa and South America and the polio vaccine is mandatory for people from Pakistan, Iraq, Syria and a few other countries.
Dr Sawsan advised pilgrims to get a comprehensive check-up done before they travel. Other basic precautions include drinking lots of fluids to stay hydrated, consuming foods rich in vitamin C, regularly washing hands and using hand sanitisers.
The DHA panellists said it is important to rest after Haj and avoid exhaustion.
