His Excellency the Umm Al-Qura University Vice President, Prof. Farid bin Ali Al-Ghamdi, today (Sunday) launched the limited campaign of vaccination against polio at his office. This took place in the presence of the Director General of the University Medical Center, Dr. Yassir Bahakim, and the campaign coordinator, Dr. Hisham Nabhan.

Dr. Yassir Hassan Bahakim explained that this campaign comes within the framework of the positive cooperation and continuous coordination between the University Medical Center and the Department of Public Health at the General Directorate of Health Affairs in Makkah Al-Mukarramah. Moreover, he pointed out that the campaign targets children 5 years of age and less from the patients and visitors of the University Medical Center in Al-Aziziyyah, during the daily working hours. The campaign will be implemented in two phases, each phase lasting five days:

• The first phase: begins on Sunday, 4 Rabi` Al-Thani, 1441 A.H.
• The second phase: begins on Sunday, 24 Jumada Al-Awwal, 1441 A.H.

On his part, His Excellency the UQU Vice President, Prof. Farid Al-Ghamdi, lauded the positive role played by the University Medical Center regarding preventive efforts by providing the best awareness and educational messages for all the UQU students and affiliates. Furthermore, he stressed the importance of participating in such campaigns, events, and awareness-raising activities to promote health awareness about common diseases among the university community in particular, and the Makkan community in general.

It is worth highlighting that the University Medical Center provided polio vaccinations for about 389 children in 1439 A.H., and the number of vaccinated children rose to 406 children in 1440 A.H.