Uzbek Pilgrims Will Be Protected Against Swine Flu
Culture and History, UzbekistanOne Comment
Translation of Kkreator’s post (RUS).
In November, as part of the Hajj, many Muslims will travel to Saudi Arabia, where, doctors say, Type A flu (H1N1) has been spreading. So far, 600 cases have been registered, with the first fatality coming in July.
Uzbek media report that in response to these developments, “a special committee has been formed to implement a series of measures for the protection of pilgrims and of the general population from the virus.”
Thus, the government will take measures to prevent what has been colloquially referred to as “swine flu” from crossing the country’s borders during the Hajj.
In the meantime, health ministers in Arab countries, who met earlier in Cairo, have cited sanitary reasons to prohibit children, the elderly and the chronically ill from attending the pilgrimage this year.
Every year, thousands of pilgrims from Uzbekistan undergo medical examinations before departure and upon arrival. They receive seasonal flu vaccinations and are monitored by doctors throughout the event.
This year, their accommodations – hotels and encampments – will be under constant epidemiological surveillance. Furthermore, pilgrims are required to carry protective items, like inhalers and breathing masks. Until the Hajj begins, they will have to attend seminars concerning safety issues related to the flu.
As a precautionary measure Uzbekistan is planning to create an emergency stockpile of antiviral drugs and disinfectants, as well as to allocate spaces in hospitals for patients suspected of carrying the virus.
Last year some 5000 citizens of Uzbekistan took part in the Hajj. They, too, were monitored by experienced doctors, who had at their disposal necessary medicaments and equipment, which prevented outbreaks.
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