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Haj pilgrims urged to get vaccinations, health checks

SINGAPORE — The Haj pilgrimage may be a few months away, but a network of Muslim healthcare professionals here is already advising those embarking on the Haj or umrah — a minor pilgrimage that can be done any time of the year — to get vaccinated and acquainted with measures to avoid infections.

Muslim pilgrims pray on Mount Mercy on the plains of Arafat during the annual haj pilgrimage, outside the holy site of Mecca on Sept 23,2015. Photo: Reuters

Muslim pilgrims pray on Mount Mercy on the plains of Arafat during the annual haj pilgrimage, outside the holy site of Mecca on Sept 23,2015. Photo: Reuters

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SINGAPORE — The Haj pilgrimage may be a few months away, but a network of Muslim healthcare professionals here is already advising those embarking on the Haj or umrah — a minor pilgrimage that can be done any time of the year — to get vaccinated and acquainted with measures to avoid infections.

The most common infectious diseases include meningococcal meningitis, flu and pneumonia, said Dr Zuraimi Mohamed Dahlan, president of the Muslim Healthcare Professionals Association. Those at risk, or with chronic conditions, should also get vaccinated against hepatitis A and B, and typhoid.

Singapore’s official Haj quota is 680 annually, and there was an appeal in February for an increase to 800. The official Haj period is on Sept 10-14 this year, while more than 10,000 Muslims from Singapore embark on the umrah each year, said Dr Zuraimi.

More than seven million pilgrims from more than 180 countries could head to Saudi Arabia between June and September this year.

Pilgrims should get their respiratory fitness checked by a doctor and take steps such as wearing a face mask and observing cough etiquette, said Dr Zuraimi, a general practitioner. Data collected previously from 2,500 Singapore pilgrims through a network of clinics here showed that respiratory complaints made up about seven in 10 clinic visits following the Haj, he said.

In addition to the risks of exhaustion, heatstroke and injuries from sun exposure and walking long distances amid dense crowds, the threat of the Zika virus looms this year, he said. A commentary in The Lancet in February said that international mass gatherings such as the Rio Olympics and the Haj could exacerbate the spread of Zika — transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and linked to microcephaly and other neurological disorders — beyond the Americas. The targeted promotion of ways to protect oneself from mosquito bites, such as use of insect repellent and wearing of protective clothing, is important, said its authors.

Dr Zuraimi’s association, the Haj Medical Committee, and pharmaceutical firm Sanofi Pasteur recently hosted a session on chronic diseases, prevention of infectious disease outbreaks and other issues for nurses who accompany pilgrims, as well as doctors here. NEO CHAI CHIN

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