People traveling to Mecca for the hajj next month should visit a travel medicine clinic two to four weeks before their departure, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.
The hajj, an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is expected to take place from June 14, and as millions are expected to take part, travelers risk contracting diseases, the CDC said.
Travelers are recommended to consult with a travel medicine specialist two to four weeks before their departure to receive vaccine and disease prevention advice based on their itinerary and specific needs, it said.
Photo: Reuters
People arriving in Saudi Arabia for the hajj are required to submit a valid vaccination certificate proving that they received a quadrivalent (ACYW) meningococcal vaccine no less than 10 days beforehand, CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said.
All individuals aged one and older from all countries must have received a quadrivalent (ACYW) polysaccharide vaccine within the past three years or a quadrivalent (ACYW) conjugated vaccine within the past five years, or both at least 10 days prior to arrival, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health Web site shows.
Saudi Arabia also recommends that travelers from all countries get vaccinated against COVID-19 and seasonal influenza before arrival, Tseng said.
As measles outbreaks have been reported in some countries in Europe and the Middle East this year, including Saudi Arabia, the CDC also suggests that people taking part in the hajj consider getting a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, she said.
The CDC’s travel notice for Saudi Arabia is level 1, or “watch,” for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, so travelers to the country are advised to avoid contact with camels and drinking raw camel milk, Tseng said.
Moreover, travelers should practice personal food and hand hygiene, consider wearing a mask in crowded places or poorly ventilated venues, avoid close contact with people who have respiratory symptoms and take measures to prevent mosquito bites, the CDC said.
Travelers who develop a fever, coughing, or other respiratory symptoms are advised to wear a mask and seek medical attention as soon as possible, and should report their condition to CDC quarantine center officials upon returning to Taiwan, it said.
People who develop symptoms within 21 days of returning to Taiwan should seek treatment immediately and tell the doctor about their recent travel and diet to ensure a better diagnosis, the CDC said.
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
Taiwan is planning to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based X-ray imaging to customs clearance points over the next four years to curb the smuggling of contraband, a Customs Administration official said. The official on condition of anonymity said the plan would cover meat products, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, large bundles of banknotes and certain agricultural produce. Taiwan began using AI image recognition systems in July 2021. This year, generative AI — a subset of AI which uses generative models to produce data — would be used to train AI models to produce realistic X-ray images of contraband, the official
RSS