ISLAMABAD – The Ministry of Religious Affairs has issued essential guidelines for Hajj pilgrims, stating that mandatory vaccinations must be taken before departing for Saudi Arabia.
In its official statement, the ministry advised pilgrims to get vaccinated for meningitis, flu, and polio free of cost from their nearest Hajj camp.
After vaccination, it is mandatory to obtain the “yellow card” from the Hajj camp, as entry into Saudi Arabia is not permitted without a valid vaccination certificate.
The Ministry further stated that pilgrims over the age of 65 must carry their previous COVID-19 vaccination card with them.
If they do not have the card, only those over 65 are required to visit the nearest Hajj camp, receive the COVID-19 vaccine again, and obtain a new card.
Earlier, the minister announced the schedule for administrating vaccines to intending Hajj pilgrims, as the process stated on April 21.
The vaccine is being administered to the pilgrims in Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Multan from Monday, April 21.
The pilgrims residing in Karachi, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Faisalabad and Sialkot, Hajj pilgrims are receiving vaccine from April 22.
Last month, the Saudi government declared the meningitis vaccine mandatory for all Hajj 2025 pilgrims.
As per the directive, all the citizens and foreign pilgrims must receive the meningitis vaccine before performing Hajj. No one would be allowed to participate in Hajj without vaccination.
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has further stated that Hajj package registration would not be possible without proof of vaccination.
The authorities emphasized that preventing the spread of infectious diseases during Hajj became a crucial necessity.
The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is set to starts its flight operation for Hajj 2025 from April 29. The national carrier will transport over 56,000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia through 280 flights.
These pilgrims will include 20,000 people availing the government Hajj scheme and 36,000 people performing pilgrimage through private Hajj operators.
The national carrier will use Boeing 777 and Airbus A320 planes for the Hajj operation.
