The Burden of IMD cases during the last 2 Umrah seasons in 2024 & 2025

On March 13, 2025, KSA notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of 11 confirmed cases of IMD due to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup , all occurring in unvaccinated pilgrims who had performed Umrah between January and March. 

Between 11 February and 18 March, WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office received reports of an additional six IMD cases in returning Umrah pilgrims, resulting in 17 confirmed international cases across three WHO regions. By May 2025, 51 cases, including secondary and exported infections, had been linked to the outbreak.

In early 2025, Saudi health authorities reinstated checks for quadrivalent meningococcal ACWY vaccination at airport boarding gates. However, implementation remains inconsistent, and global shortages of the vaccines persist. Moreover, vaccination coverage among Umrah pilgrims has declined over the past 2 years.

Key challenges persist. A substantial proportion of domestic pilgrims & deployed healthcare workers remain unvaccinated & the introduction of e-tourist visas in 2023, without a requirement for proof of vaccination, has enabled some travelers to bypass immunization controls.  

Pre-travel verification of vaccination status by airlines, health clinics, and public health authorities supported by a global vaccine stockpile is essential, as vaccination remains the most effective and cost-efficient strategy to prevent IMD.