The Consultant Pediatrician at Jeddah Health Affairs General Directorate, Dr. Nasruddin Al-Sharif reiterated the importance of vaccination against meningitis before heading to the Holy Sites to perform the Hajj rituals, pointing out, as part of the awareness campaign to curb the infectious diseases under the theme: "For a Healthy Safe Hajj", in collaboration with Sanofi Company, that the health requirements oblige pilgrims from all over the world, seasonal workers heading to work in Hajj areas; to produce a valid certificate of vaccination against meningitis. He pointed out that all health centers have provided these vaccines for the internal pilgrims, workers in the ports and individuals heading to work in the Holy Sites.
Al-Sharif stressed that the Kingdom- thanks to Allah- has not registered any meningitis related infections throughout the recent years either in the Hajj season or otherwise, thanks to the awareness campaigns and the big efforts exerted by the Ministry of Health in the preventive aspect.
He added that meningitis is an infection that affects the delicate membranes covering the brain and spinal cord resulting from bacteria, viruses or etc. It's an infectious fever that requires vaccination for best prevention, as the disease transmits through the sprays of respiratory and throat secretions. He explained that close contacting of the patients with the disease helps its outbreak, given that its incubation period ranges between 2 to 10 days.