25 August 2016
RIYADH: The Ministry of Health (MoH) has included Madinah and Al-Qassim to its ongoing mobile vaccination program which will end on Thursday.

In the first ever program launched by the MoH on Sunday, prospective local Haj pilgrims were given flu shots and vaccinations against meningitis at their doorstep in three major cities of Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah.

According to a Health Ministry official, this is a program carried out under the National Transformation Program 2020. He added that there is an acute demand in these two cities from where a good number of pilgrims go to Makkah for pilgrimage.

The Ministry has been carrying out this program in cooperation with Uber transport services since Sunday to benefit local pilgrims who are going for Haj this year.

The service, offered free of charge to pilgrims, is operative between 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily for a period of five days, ending on Thursday. The ministry will provide the medical team to Uber, which in turn will mobilize the operations through its fleet of vehicles. According to the official, there is a special application called vaccination on the Uber website.

According to the information given to Uber, the medical team will meet the caller and give the necessary dose and vaccination at the doorstep.

According to a statement issued by Uber: "This is a partnership with the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia. We're making it easy for both pilgrims and residents to avail themselves of the preventive health care program launched by the MoH through TATEAM. From 4:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. every day, starting Sunday Aug. 21 to Thursday Aug. 25, we will be delivering vaccines on demand at no cost.

If you request, you'll receive a free flu shot and free vaccine against meningitis by health care professionals from the Ministry of Health, wherever you are in Riyadh, Jeddah, Al-Qassim, Madinah and the Eastern Province at the single touch of a button you will find the medical team at your doorstep in these five cities."

Uber also issued the following instructions: "Select the "TATEAM" option and request. Pro tip: Please select a suitable indoor location prior to the health care professionals' arrival."

"If you request a shot, the nurse will handle all paperwork and consent forms.

If you are unable to request on the first try, give it a few minutes and try again."

Upon arrival, users will receive both a flu shot and vaccine against meningitis by health care professionals from the Ministry of Health's centers at no cost.

The Ministry of Health asks those who have already received the meningitis vaccine in the past three years or a flu shot within the past year not to place a request.

Meningitis vaccine has been made mandatory for all pilgrims to avoid brain fever, while the flu shot is given to pilgrims as a precautionary matter to keep them away from the flu during the pilgrimage.

The MoH has notified all the Saudi missions abroad to issue Haj visas only if the Saudi quarantine requirements are fully met, which includes vaccination against meningitis. It is mandatory for local and foreign pilgrims. It should be given 10 days before departure and is valid for a period of three years. 

The disease may spread during the Haj season causing outbreaks because many pilgrims come from endemic areas. Congestion and overcrowding facilitates transmission. The vaccine is given to adults and children over two years of age and is not administered to pregnant women.

Through overseas Saudi missions, the ministry has already instructed incoming pilgrims to produce vaccination certificates against yellow fever, meningitis, polio and influenza depending on their countries of origin.

Most pilgrims from Africa and South America have been advised to take vaccinations against yellow fever, which is endemic to countries in those continents.

The Health Ministry has taken preventive measures against all epidemic diseases likely to be brought into the Kingdom by pilgrims. It has deployed officials at all 16 ports of entry to monitor the health of pilgrims coming for this year's Haj.

© Arab News 2016