Rising flu cases trigger mandatory Umrah vaccination

Experts urge timely immunization as respiratory infections rise and virus continues to evolve

KARACHI:

Influenza cases are rising in Karachi, with patients reporting high fever, headache, sore throat, chest infections, dry cough, body aches and other flu-related symptoms. Doctors say the number of influenza patients visiting public and private hospitals has increased by around 20 per cent.

Amid the rise in cases, the Sindh government has made influenza vaccination mandatory for Umrah pilgrims travelling through Karachi Airport. Meningitis and polio vaccinations have also been made compulsory, with pilgrims required to present vaccination documentation before departure.

Medical experts say the current flu virus has shown symptoms similar to those associated with Covid-19, although there is disagreement over whether the virus represents a new influenza variant or a modified Covid-19 variant.

Pharmacist Dr Usman Ghani, who is involved in importing vaccines into Pakistan, said influenza viruses have several strains and can change their characteristics every year, requiring vaccines to be updated accordingly.

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“Some health experts are describing this year’s influenza virus as a modified Covid-19 variant, while some doctors believe it is a new influenza variant that has changed its characteristics,” he said.

Ghani believed vaccination remained an important means of protection against influenza, particularly because the virus can spread rapidly from one person to another. He said children and elderly people were among those more vulnerable to infection, particularly when immunity was weak.

He added that the demand for vaccines had increased significantly following the Covid-19 pandemic as public awareness about vaccination improved. However, he warned that some organisations were importing vaccines from unqualified companies, leaving consumers unable to determine whether the products were genuine.

“Customs officials have even intercepted products sold as vaccines that turned out to contain distilled water or normal saline,” he said, stressing that vaccines should be imported from reputable manufacturers.

According to Ghani, influenza becomes more prevalent with the onset of colder weather, generally beginning around October. He said vaccines approved by international health authorities generally have a shelf life of one year and that Pakistan now imports around 700,000 influenza vaccine doses annually because of rising demand.

The vaccination requirement has particular significance for people travelling for Hajj and Umrah, where large numbers of people from different countries gather in confined spaces. A family preparing to travel for Umrah said vaccination was necessary to protect pilgrims from infectious diseases.

“Thousands of people from different countries are present during Umrah, so vaccination is important for protecting people’s health,” the family said.

Under the new requirements, Umrah pilgrims travelling through Karachi Airport must receive influenza, meningitis and polio vaccinations. After vaccination, they are required to upload their receipt to the NADRA website and obtain a vaccination card, which must be presented at the airport.

The rise in influenza cases has also renewed concerns over the quality and availability of vaccines in Pakistan. Experts say vaccination programmes can help reduce the spread and severity of seasonal influenza, but the public should ensure that vaccines are obtained through authorised and reliable sources.

With the flu season approaching and international travel increasing, health experts say vaccination and other preventive measures will remain important in limiting the spread of influenza, particularly among children, elderly people and other vulnerable groups.