Hajj

Following an upturn in cases of meningitis and septicaemia earlier this decade it is a requirement that anyone entering Saudi Arabia for the purpose of Hajj, Umrah or for seasonal work in Hajj areas to have recieved the ACWY (or quadrivalent) vaccine.You will need to produce a certificate of vaccination with ACWY issued at least 10 days but not more than three years before arrvial.

The quadrivalent ACWY vaccine protects against meningitis and septicaemia caused by 4 different strains of meningococcal bacteria: A, C, W135 and Y. It is important to remember that this vaccine does not prevent all forms of the disease, there is no protection against meningococcal group B, the most common form of meningococcal disease in the UK, therefore it is important to know the symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia.

You can read more on the ACWY vaccine here and more on our travel advice for Hajj pilgrims here.

Written and audio information about this and other meningitis vaccines, and about symptoms, is also available in 22 languages on this website. Languages include Arabic, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Somali, Turkish and Urdu. An interpretation service in 150 languages is also available via the helpline.