At his office in the University City in Al-Abediyah, Prof. Abdullah bin Omar Bafil, President of Umm Al-Qura University (UQU), launched the Vaccination Campaign against Meningitis and Seasonal Influenza for the Hajj Season 1439H on Thursday, 28^th Shawwal 1439H. The launching was in the presence of Dr. Yasser bin Hassan Bahakim (General Director of the University Medical Center), and Mr. Hassan Maghraby (Field Vaccination Campaign Coordinator at the Health Affairs).  

For his part, Dr. Bahakim stated that the campaign was within the framework of the continuous cooperation between the University Medical Center and the General Directorate of Health Affairs in Makkah. At the same time, he explained that this year’s campaign would be launched on Sunday-Thursday, 2^nd-27^th Dhulqe’dah 1439H to include all UQU colleges, centers, departments, institutes and premises in Makkah. He added that vaccination teams would visit locations as coordinated with the vaccination campaign supervisors at the sections of both genders.  In addition, they would ensure the availability of vaccines at the University Medical Center in Al-Aziziyah and its branch at the Deanship of University Studies in Al-Zaher 24/7 all through the vaccination period. This was to guarantee the vaccination of all targeted categories as follows:              

1. Vaccination Campaign against Meningitis:

• Targeted Categories:

1. All medical personnel.
2. All non-medical- personnel working in the Hajj.
3. Citizens and residents in the region.

• (Conjugate Vaccine) is given to persons at the age between 9 months and 65 years who have not been vaccinated in the past five years with the same vaccine.
• (ACYW135) is given to persons at the age of 65+ years who have not been vaccinated in the past three years with the same vaccine.

2. Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Campaign:

• Targeted Categories: Same as in (Meningitis).
• All targeted categories are vaccinated regardless of previous vaccination in the past season that ended in Jumada I 1439H.
• Seasonal Influenza Vaccination is given to persons at the age of 6 months+.

Finally, Dr. Bahakim extended sincere thanks and appreciation to Prof. Bafil for his partronage and support for such campaign. Moreover, he sincerely thanked Dr. Yasser Sho Sho, UQU Vice President, for his continuous follow-up of the Medical Center’s works, activities and events. He noted that this contributed to the upgrade of the Center’s treatment and preventive services provided to all UQU students, affiliates and their families, as well as those entitled to treatment there.  He also thanked the team that participated in the implementation of the campaign within UQU, wishing that Allah, the Almighty, would help it succeed and fulfill its objectives.