Sinovac Vaccine And Sinopharm Umrah Vaccine, Suadi Arabia Conducted A Study

Representatives of the Indonesian Consulate General during a meeting with the Deputy for Umrah Affairs of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, August 11. (HO-Kemenag)

JAKARTA - Consul for Hajj, Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) Jeddah, Endang Jumali, stated that Saudi Arabia is currently still conducting studies related to the use of Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines for Umrah pilgrims. The problem is that these two vaccine brands were previously recommended by Saudi Arabia.

"For the Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines used by a number of countries, the Ministry of Health of Saudi Arabia is still conducting a study. In the near future, the results will be officially released," said Endang in a written statement received in Jakarta, Thursday, August 12.

According to Endang, this information was obtained after representatives of the Indonesian Consulate General held a meeting with the Deputy for Umrah Affairs of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Abdulaziz Wazzan at the Office of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, on Wednesday 11 August.

The two vaccines from China had not previously been recommended by Saudi Arabia for pilgrims who would enter the Holy Land to perform Umrah. Saudi only recognizes AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson.

Vaccination. (Intermediate Doc)

"The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah continues to coordinate with the Ministry of Health of Saudi Arabia to ensure whether prospective Umrah pilgrims from other countries, including Indonesia, who have received two doses of the two vaccines still need to be given one more dose (booster) of the four vaccines used by Saudi Arabia, or how," he said.

Meanwhile, Sinovac and Sinopharm have now been recognized by WHO. The Ministry of Religion continues to coordinate with the Indonesian Ministry of Health and the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to jointly discuss the issue of using this vaccine.

Deputy for Umrah, said Endang, emphasized that the Saudi Arabian government prioritized the safety and health of pilgrims in organizing the Umrah pilgrimage during the pandemic. Safety and health are the main things, not just economic and business interests.

"The implementation of Umrah is carried out with strict health protocols, for example, transportation within the city is only filled with 50 percent of the total normal capacity, and hotel accommodation is limited to two people per room," he said.

Illustration of the atmosphere of the Grand Mosque, Mecca during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Twitter/@Haramain Sharifain)

Saudi Arabia is also still suspending direct travel for a number of countries where the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 is still high, including India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa and Lebanon.

However, Saudi Arabia has opened the door to Umrah for pilgrims from the suspended country. However, they must undergo quarantine for 14 days in a third country before arriving in the Holy Land. "For safety reasons as well, the suspension policy is still in effect, especially for countries where the spread of the COVID-19 virus is still considered high," he said.