Amid a surge in polio cases in recent months, with Pakistan reporting 73 infection cases last year, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia has made it mandatory for Umrah pilgrims from Pakistan to receive a polio vaccination before traveling to the Kingdom.
According to Radio Pakistan, GACA issued a directive requiring Umrah pilgrims from Pakistan to receive the polio vaccination at least four weeks before departure and to carry the vaccination certificate with them.
“The vaccination should not be more than six months old at the time of departure,” the state broadcaster stated.
Moreover, Umrah pilgrims and relevant institutions have been urged to “strictly implement” this condition to avoid the offloading of pilgrims from flights.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the last two countries where polio remains endemic. In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 cases annually, but in 2018 the number dropped to eight cases.
