Pakistani Umrah pilgrims offloaded for no polio vaccine certificates

LAHORE: Hundreds of Pakistani Umrah pilgrims denied clearance and offloaded due to the absence of a polio vaccination certificates, ARY News reported on Monday, citing sources.

As per details, at Lahore Airport, several Saudi-bound passengers were not issued boarding passes as they failed to present the mandatory polio vaccination certificate, sources revealed.

Meanwhile, in the past 24 hours, hundreds of Pakistani Umrah pilgrims were offloaded from flights at airports nationwide for not meeting the requirement.

Saudi Arabia has made polio vaccinations mandatory for Umrah pilgrims coming from Pakistan.

Adding to the challenges, obtaining a polio vaccination certificate is a lengthy process.

While oral polio vaccine (OPV) drops are available at any health facility, only District Health Officers (DHOs) are authorized to update vaccination records in the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) system.

This limitation has led to significant delays, as DHOs struggle to process the overwhelming number of certification requests.

Read more: Saudi Arabia suspends meningitis vaccine requirement for travellers

Earlier, Saudi Arabia abolished the requirement of Neisseria meningitis vaccination from Pakistani travellers heading to the kingdom for Umrah or Hajj.

Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) issued a new circular on Thursday for travellers from various countries.

According to Khaleej Times, the new directive were sent to all airlines operating in Saudi Arabia’s airports, including private carriers, for compliance, reversing a previous circular issued last month mandating meningitis shots.