The Ministry of Health of Saudi Arabia has mandated meningococcal meningitis vaccination for all individuals performing Umrah or Hajj due to the high risk of infectious disease spread, Islamnews.ru reports.

Starting from February 1, 2025, vaccination against meningitis will be required for all passengers arriving in the Kingdom, regardless of the type of visa.

Travelers must be vaccinated with a quadrivalent Neisseria meningitis vaccine, which can be either polysaccharide or conjugate.

A vaccination certificate must be provided, issued at least 10 days before arrival for the quadrivalent vaccine.

For polysaccharide vaccines, the certificate must not be older than three years, and for conjugate vaccines, no older than five years.

Children under the age of one year are exempt from the vaccination requirement.