Saudi Arabia Makes Polio Vaccination Mandatory for Pakistani Travelers
Saudi Arabia Makes Polio Vaccination Mandatory for Pakistani Travelers
The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has recently said that Pakistani travelers to Saudi Arabia will need to show proof that they have been vaccinated against polio.
This new rule applies to people traveling from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, and other places. At least four weeks before going to Saudi Arabia, travelers must get a polio vaccination certificate or proof that they have received an inactivated poliovirus vaccine. Transit people who stay in the airport for less than 12 hours, on the other hand, are not required to do this.
Airlines have been told to carefully check the vaccine records of people from Mozambique, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria. Failure to follow these rules will result in harsh punishments and legal issues for those guilty.
This was done after Pakistan’s first case of polio in 2025 was found in a 13-month-old girl from the Tank area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The child, who first showed signs on November 25, was found to have Wild Poliovirus type 1.
Pakistan had 68 cases of polio last year. 21 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 27 in Balochistan, 19 in Sindh, and 1 in Punjab.
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