The Hajj: updated health hazards and current recommendations for 2012

J A Al-Tawfiq; Z A Memish

doi:10.2807/ese.17.41.20295-en

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The Hajj: updated health hazards and current recommendations for 2012
J A Al-Tawfiq¹ , Z A Memish²
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Affiliations: ¹ Saudi Aramco Medical Services Organization, Dhahran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ² Public Health Directorate, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Director WHO Collaborating Center for Mass Gathering Medicine, Professor, College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

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Z Memish
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Citation style for this article: Al-Tawfiq J A, Memish Z A. The Hajj: updated health hazards and current recommendations for 2012. Euro Surveill. 2012;17(41):pii=20295. https://doi.org/10.2807/ese.17.41.20295-en Received: 06 Oct 2012

Abstract

This year the Hajj will take place during 24-29 October. Recent outbreaks of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, cholera in Sierra Leone, and infections associated with a novel coronavirus in Saudi Arabia and Qatar required review of the health recommendations of the 2012 Hajj. Current guidelines foresee mandatory vaccination with quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine for all pilgrims, and yellow fever and poliomyelitis vaccine for pilgrims from high-risk countries. Influenza vaccine is strongly recommended. .