Famous Nollywood Actress and movie producer Ruth Kadiri has raised alarm over the unavailability of vaccines for children in some hospitals.
Kadiri, a mum of two, shared on her Instagram page that she took her child to the hospital for the cholera vaccine and MMR Varicella Immunisation but was informed by her nurse that there were no vaccines for babies at the hospital.
Kadiri did not disclose the name of the hospital she visited. However, when she questioned whether other mothers were experiencing similar vaccination issues, the responses in the comment section revealed that many hospitals were also facing vaccine shortages.
Other mothers confirmed the situation, saying, “Yes, oo, it’s disheartening, and when you eventually find them, they are very expensive.”
Echoing the same, another mother said, “Even when they finally got MMR and Chicken Pox vaccines, the prices they called for each dose were not even funny. They said the federal government is not supplying it, so they buy it too.”
Another confirmed that it’s a major issue, stating that two of her kids are yet to get their second immunisation shots.
However, while Kadiri appealed to the government to investigate the case, the Federal Ministry of Health did not respond to West Africa Weekly’s inquiry on why these crucial vaccines are unavailable.
The MMRV vaccine protects against four diseases: measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox). This vaccine is only licensed for use in children 12 months through 12 years of age, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).