Hajj pilgrims urged to take vaccinations early
Pilgrims going for Haj this year are being asked to take all the necessary vaccinations about two weeks before they embark on the journey to allow the vaccination to become effective.
The call was made by Dr Meshal Al Meseifri the deputy director of the medical committee for Hajj missions on Saturday during the Epidemics preparedness and Hajj Symposium at Doha Hotel organized by the Supreme Council of Health (SCH).
The Symposium was attended by health establishments in the country among which were Hamad Medical Corporation and Primary Health Care Corporation and other medical units associated with the Hajj mission in Qatar.
Other establishments that attended the workshop included Qatar Airways, Clinics for the Armed forces, police, hospitals and private clinics.
“Vaccinations require a minimum of ten days to become effective in the body and produce enough antibodies to fight against any disease,” he said.
He also urged pilgrims to abide by the basic hygiene of washing hands and those with chronic diseases to see their medical consultants and get their advice on the trip as well as the required medicines.
The Symposium presented several topics on how to prepare for epidemic diseases during the pilgrimage including Influenzas, corona virus and Ebola virus.
It also provided discussions on other health requirements to be meant for the Hajj season and also launching a vaccination campaign especially for influenza related diseases for the health workers during Hajj.
The workshop also discussed best ways to provide outreach campaigns to citizens who would be traveling for Hajj on the best ways to preserve their health especially when they are interacting or visiting pilgrims from other countries affected with pandemics.
Sheikh Dr Mohammed bin Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani the director of Public Health Department at SCH said that the workshop was coming at a very important time just before the Hajj season and that this was the best time to teach the pilgrims of the way viruses like Influenza and other epidemic diseases were spread from one person to another.
The director of public health also told journalists of the efforts being undertaken by the government of Qatar in fighting epidemics and influenzas especially viruses like Corona and said that the country had not registered any more single case since November last year.
