BOLTON Muslims making the annual pilgrimage to Mecca are being offered free flu vaccinations.

The flu jabs will be given by local GPs this Friday at the Bolton Council of Mosques (BCOM) in Vicarage Street, Bolton, between 6.30pm and 8.30pm. All Hajj pilgrims must get the meningitis vaccine, but are also being advised to be protected against flu as they embark on their journey.

The vaccinations are being carried out with the support of NHS Bolton. A spokesman for BCOM said: “This year, the flu vaccine is not essential for the visa but it is still recommended by health professionals.

“Many scientific studies carried out during previous Hajj years have proven that, although the ‘Hajj cough’ is seen as inevitable, many people are carrying flu infections which can make a person very ill.”

For further information on the jabs and where to get them from, contact the Bolton Council of Mosques on 01204 363680.

(The Bolton News- Tuesday 19th October)