The Ministry of Health has said that all persons resident in Saudi Arabia intending to perform the Haj pilgrimage have until Nov. 22 (Dhul Hijja 5) to receive the swine flu vaccine. A ministry statement Sunday addressing Saudi nationals and foreign residents said that the vaccine was available at all Ministry of Health facilities. The statement was preceded by another ministry announcement that the effects of the second wave of swine flu had begun to be noticed from the beginning of October, with a 50 percent increase in the numbers of registered cases in the Kingdom. The ministry reiterated the need for pregnant women and children under the age of six to take the vaccine, and urged the public to follow health and hygiene recommendations and seek immediate consultation with a doctor should symptoms appear. Symptoms, the ministry reminded, include a high temperature, shortness of breath, chest pain, bloody phlegm and a blue appearance to the skin. The ministry cited particularly vulnerable groups as persons suffering chest, heart or metabolism complaints, pregnant women, diabetics and overweight people. Meanwhile, Dr. Sahra Makki, Director General of Infection Control at the Ministry of Health, said the ministry would not force pilgrims coming from abroad to take the vaccine. “The Kingdom has recommended and encouraged all pilgrims from the Kingdom and abroad to take the vaccine for H1N1, but no one will be forced to take it,” said Makki. Makki was speaking at the launch of the first medical symposium on infectious diseases at King Fahd Hospital in Jeddah.
