Saudi wants kids to carry vaccine tag

The Health Ministry is working out how to issue polio immunisation certificates to children heading to Saudi Arabia after Riyadh placed Indi...

The Health Ministry is working out how to issue polio immunisation certificates to children heading to Saudi Arabia after Riyadh placed India on a list of 19 nations where children below 15 have to show proof of polio immunisation in order to enter the country.

The Saudi directive poses a problem for the 15 lakh Indian expatriates living there whose families come over to visit them as well the 1.5 lakh pilgrims who head to the Haj each year. “A major chunk of the working class in Saudi Arabia is from India who generally have their families visiting. The government will have to work out a policy (on this)…” an official who didn’t wish to be named said.

A notice in the WHO weekly Epidemiological Record says the directive was issued in “response to the continuing international spread of polio virus”. India, Pakistan and Afghanistan as well as some African countries will be required to provide polio certificates. Saudi Arabia, which has been polio-free for 10 years, tightened its regulations after reporting two polio cases last year.

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“We have 25 cases in India this year — the lowest ever. We have to contain the spread of the virus now or we can never do it and we will get more such red marks and our children will not be allowed anywhere,” the official said.

Eighteen previously polio-free countries have reported cases over the last two years — Eritrea being the latest addition to that list. “… Indonesia and Yemen which have been polio free for 10 years are facing largescale outbreaks — with 415 and 219 cases respectively. The risk that disease can further spread to other countries like Philippines, China and Malaysia remains very high,” the official said.

WHO has advised people travelling to and from areas with reported polio cases to be up to date on vaccinations.

Bhavish Aggarwal (Photo via his Twitter page)

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