Important Londonwide CEO message, volume 2, number 3 - 20 October 2009
The HAJJ
As promised on Friday, I have obtained clarification on the issue of vaccinations for patients travelling to MAKKAH for the HAJJ and UMRAH this year. My advice on Seasonal Flu immunisation remains the same. My advice on Swine Flu vaccination has changed substantially in the light of clearer information, in particular from the Saudi Embassy, NHS and the HPA. Please feel free to use flu@lmc.org.uk if you have any comments or concerns.
With all good wishes
Dr Michelle Drage FRCGP
Joint Chief Executive Officer
Londonwide LMCs
- Seasonal Flu
Doctors and Nurses: The Saudi Embassy requires all Hajj religious pilgrims to be immunised against Seasonal Flu. You can do no harm and can get into no trouble by immunising religious pilgrims as requested by the Saudi Embassy.
Practice Managers: You may not charge patients for this vaccination but you may claim your costs from the PPA in the usual way, and charge for a certificate, as required by the Saudi Embassy.
- Swine Flu
Doctors and Nurses: The key thing to understand here is that the H1N1 vaccine is only being made available to defined at-risk groups. The Saudi Embassy requires certificates of vaccination from all HAJJ pilgrims, but only when the vaccine is universally available. Explicitly, at present it isn’t available. As I indicated last week it will become available over the 3 weeks commencing 26 October 2009, but this will not be on a universal basis.
The following is taken from the Saudi Embassy website:
Incoming travellers for Hajj from all countries must provide a valid certificate of vaccination at least 2 weeks old against Swine flu (H1N1) A before acquiring a Hajj Visa, if it is universally available.
The fact is that H1N1 vaccine is not universally available at this time, and is unlikely to be made universally available for the foreseeable future.
Thus the only requirement to vaccinate pilgrims is if they fall into the H1N1 at–risk groups. However, the following is also taken from the Saudi Embassy website:
Experts advise prospective pilgrims for Hajj and Umrah that the elderly and persons with chronic diseases, children and pregnant women should postpone the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages this year for their own safety.
This leaves very few at-risk people to vaccinate, and even then they can only be vaccinated once you have the vaccine.
Patients who have not been advised not to travel to Makkah and who are not eligible for H1N1 vaccine will be protected by thermal scanning which will take place upon entry.
Practice Managers: This is obviously going to be a bit tricky to explain to worried patients, particularly if you practice in an area with large numbers of imminently departing religious pilgrims. It is therefore important to make sure that this is clearly understood by all, so that patients are given a clear and reassuring message. Please feel free to copy this advice as needed.