The Saudi Embassy in Kuwait will not issue Hajj visas for individuals who fail to submit a certificate as a proof they had received a swine flu vaccination , if the injections were made available by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health. "The Ministry of Hajj in Saudi Arabia realizes the difficulty of securing vaccines for pilgrims in all the Muslim countries, so if the vaccine was not available, pilgrims can still get their visas for Hajj. However, in case the vaccines were made available in Kuwait, perso
ns applying for Hajj this year won't get a visa without showing proof that already received an injection," Director of the Vocational Health Department at the Ministry of Health Ahmad Al-Shatti said during a press conference at the Sheraton Hotel on Monday.

The press conference was organized by the Hajj convoy company, Mawasem, in order to clarify some of the issues surrounding the effect of the H1N1 (swine flu) virus on this year's Hajj season. Representatives from Ministries of Awqaf and Health also took part in the conference which addressed the media on subjects related to their ministerial duties.

Four Hajj campaign companies announced they will not organize Hajj convoys this year after the low turnout of pilgrims due to swine flu fears.

Yousef Al-Kandari, the executive director of Mawasem company, began the event by pointing out the preventive measures taken by Hajj convoys to minimize the risks of swine flu infection. "We now have agreements with private hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to forward the ill people there immediately. We also have isolation rooms in addition to the provision of all tools for precautions as advised by the Ministry of Health, such as sanitizers and masks," he said.

However, Al-Kandari admitted that the turnout this season was far less than previous seasons. He held the media partially accountable for blowing the issue out of proportions.

Meanwhile, Al-Shatti pointed out that securing 45,000 vaccines for pilgrims in Kuwait was not an easy task given the global demand for the vaccine which by far exceed supply. He added that the ministry was doing everything possible to secure the necessary vaccines before the Hajj season started.

Answering a question for Kuwait Times about the possible side effects of the vaccine and whether Minister of Health Helal Al-Sayer was ready to try it himself in order to assure its safety, Al-Shatti said "Yes, the minister is now out of the country, but I don't think he will oppose that when he comes back. In that case, I will be the second one to take the vaccine after him.

The health official agreed that the disease has been exaggerated by the media. "Some 99 percent of H1N1 infections are cured without even taking any medication," he said. However, he advised people to follow the safety instructions issued earlier by the ministry.

Roumi Al-Roumi, the director of Hajj affairs at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, predicted more Hajj convoys to drop out of this year's Hajj season. "It's possible that some Hajj convoys will apologize in the next few days. Now, we have insolvent Hajj convoys instead of insolvent companies.
Al-Roumi also pointed out that there were six cases of unofficial campaigns which were shut down and forwarded for prosecution.

Kuwait Times