The Ministry of Health (MOH) highlighted that the elderly (over 65 years) wishing to perform Hajj and having chronic diseases (heart disease, kidney disease, respiratory disease, diabetes, immune deficiency "congenital and acquired", malignancy and pregnant women), must consult their treating doctors to assess their health condition and decide whether or not to allow them to go for Hajj, especially for those suffering from acute respiratory symptoms with fever and cough. In such case they will be advised to postpone travelling for Hajj until their symptoms are disappeared and they must get the required vaccination before Hajj.
It underlined the importance of adherence to public health guidelines to reduce the spread of infectious respiratory diseases. The guidelines include washing hands with soap and water or disinfectant, especially after coughing and sneezing, using disposable tissues when coughing or sneezing and dispose of it in the waste basket, putting on face masks especially in overcrowded areas, trying as much as possible to avoid hand contact with the eyes, nose and mouth, avoiding direct contact with the persons who appear ill with cough, sneeze, expectoration, vomiting, diarrhea, and not sharing their personal belongings; and maintaining good personal hygiene, using your personal prayer mat and personal tools, avoiding eating meat that has not been properly cooked and drinking raw camel milk, avoiding close contact with animals, particularly camels, when visiting animal farms.
The MOH, through its National Center for Information and Health Promotion which receives inquiries via the toll free number 8002494444 and the MOH's Twitter account: @saudimoh, within the context of the health awareness program dubbed: "Pilgrims' Health Is Our Top Concern", warned pilgrims, particularly the elderly to avoid unnecessary exposure to the sun and drink sufficient amount of liquids (water) to protect themselves from sunstrokes or heat exhaustion, particularly due to the high temperature. It also warned against buying food from street vendors or drinking water of unknown source and washing fruits and vegetables well before eating, wishing everyone good health.