Pakistan Receives Meningitis Vaccine Amid Saudi Arabia’s Rule Change

Just hours before Saudi Arabia lifted the meningitis vaccine requirement for Umrah pilgrims, Pakistan received a shipment of thirty-seven thousand five hundred doses to tackle the vaccine shortage.

The consignment, imported by a private pharmaceutical company, has been distributed across provinces, with Punjab receiving sixteen thousand doses. Lahore, where pilgrims struggled to find the vaccine, has been prioritized, and the vaccine will be available in major pharmacies at Rs6,500.

To prevent black marketing, the Punjab government has made it mandatory for pilgrims to present their passport, visa, and airline ticket before purchasing the vaccine. Authorities have warned against hoarding and overcharging.

In response to public complaints, Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique assured that the vaccine supply chain would be restored in two days. Punjab Health Secretary Nadia Saqib also directed pharmaceutical companies to maintain backup stocks to avoid future shortages.

Despite Saudi Arabia’s decision to suspend the vaccine requirement, those who planned their Umrah before the policy change must still follow the previous guidelines, which mandate receiving the vaccine at least ten days before departure.

The sudden timing of Saudi Arabia’s decision has raised questions about whether it was influenced by Pakistan’s vaccine procurement efforts.