Routine meningitis and influenza vaccinations for Umrah pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia have been suspended at Karachi airport following alleged irregularities in vaccine procurement, according to sources. The Border Health Services counter set up at Jinnah Terminal for emergency vaccinations has also been removed.
Most staff at the airport dispensary have been relieved of their duties, leaving only one dispenser and one other employee, sources said. Daily-wage workers hired for the programme have been told not to report for duty until further notice. Only 4,000 doses reportedly remain in stock, reserved for passengers who have already paid the vaccination fee through NADRA's Pak ID app.
The disruption comes after the Sindh government, responding to a rise in influenza cases in Karachi, made flu vaccination mandatory for Umrah pilgrims flying from the city's airport. Meningitis and polio vaccinations, with documentation, are also required before departure. Under recently issued directives, the deadline for completing the mandatory vaccinations has been extended to November 20.
Medical experts say the current flu virus causes symptoms similar to Covid-19, though they disagree over whether it is a new influenza variant or a modified Covid strain. For thousands of pilgrims, the pressing question now is where to get vaccinated before the deadline.