THE medical information service, Medinfo on Monday warned Muslims preparing for the pilgrimage to Mecca against doctors who issued fraudulent vaccination certificates. ”Medinfo has confirmation of a fraud being perpetrated against Muslim pilgrims preparing for the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, with the issue of fraudulent vaccination certificates by certain medical practitioners,” the service said in a statement. Pilgrims who want to enter Saudi Arabia have to be properly vaccinated against meningitis and must be able to produce proof of vaccination before they may enter the country. The requirement of meningitis vaccination follows outbreaks of the fatal disease in Mecca during the holy pilgrimage when over a million Muslims from across the globe gathered. Medinfo said previously vaccination against only two strains of meningitis were required by the Saudi government, but an outbreak of an unusual strain last year had necessitated vaccination against four strains of the disease. ”It has come to the attention of Medinfo that a South African medical practitioner, himself a Muslim, will falsify vaccination certificates to show that immunisation with the required four strains has been administered, while in reality a vaccine protecting against only two strains has been given,” Medinfo said. – Sapa