Polio vaccine must for elderly Haj pilgrims!

Kanpur, Sep 8 (UNI) Even the aged will now have to take polio vaccine before embarking on Haj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

According to the guidelines issued by the Saudi government, the Haj pilgrims need to take the polio drops before September 15 for the visit, the certificate of which need to be attached with the passport.

The orders in this regard have already been circulated to the Chief Medical Officers of the state.

Meanwhile, elderly like Haji Sageer Ahmad, Gulab Rabbani and retired professor Abdul Kabir Khan are requesting the Centre for an appeal to the Saudi Arab government for exemption in this regard.

''Since, Ramzaan are starting from September 13, it is not possible for the pilgrims to take the vaccine during this period,'' Akhil Bhartiya Khuddam Haj Committee national president Nissamudin Siddiqui told UNI here.

''Last year, a person died due to polio in Saudi Arab, therefore the government there had made the compulsion for the polio vaccine as a preventive step,'' Dr Naseem, a senior government medical officer said.

Normally, the vaccination is given to children of upto 5 yrs of age.

UNI