COVID-19 vaccine a ‘must’ for Hajj healthcare workers: Saudi health minister

International Desk Published: 3 March 2021, 09:04 AM

COVID-19 vaccine a ‘must’ for Hajj healthcare workers: Saudi health minister

A handout picture provided by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on June 23, 2020, shows Saudi Health Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah. (File/AFP)

Receiving the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine is a must for health workers participating in the Hajj season 2021, Saudi Health Minister Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah has said.

“You must prepare early to secure the manpower required to operate the health facilities in Makkah, the holy sites and Madinah, and the entry points for pilgrims for the 2021 Hajj season,” he said in an official circular.

“A vaccination committee must be formed for the Hajj and Umrah season, on which they have adopted the compulsory reception of the COVID-19 vaccine for participating healthcare workers,” he added.

Health Ministry spokesman Dr. Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Aly told a press conference on Tuesday that quarantine is not required after contact with someone who has been vaccinated and completed immunization.

Source: Arab News