October 17, 2008	Friday	Shawwal 17, 1429

LAHORE, Oct 16: The 85,000 Pakistani Haj pilgrims will be administered oral polio vaccine (OPV) on reaching Saudi Arabia next month.

An official of the federal health ministry said that Saudi Arabia being a polio-free country takes utmost caution to prevent transmission of the disease from the epidemic-prone countries.

“As the polio-virus still exists here, the Pakistanis will be administered OPV, regardless of age and past vaccination history, on their arrival in Saudi Arabia,” he said.

The number of polio victims has risen to 80 this year. Most of them belong to the NWFP and Fata where vaccination campaigns have not succeeded because of opposition from some sections and fatwas issued by some ulema.

According to sources, these ulema believe that the vaccine being supplied to Pakistan is produced by Jews who use the income from its sale for anti-Muslim activities.

They said that since the government of Saudi Arabia had made it compulsory for children under 15 to produce a certificate of vaccination administrated six weeks before applying for visa, the ulema in the NWFP had softened their stance on the matter.

“Interestingly, some of the ulema who issued fatwas last year are leaving for the holy land to perform Haj will be up against their own edict and will be required to take anti-polio drops.”