Nollywood actress Ruth Kadiri is shining a spotlight on the critical shortage of essential vaccines for children in some Nigerian hospitals. Kadiri recently took to Instagram to share her alarming experience. She explained that when she took her daughter for routine vaccinations, they were turned away due to a lack of available vaccines. The needed immunizations included those for cholera, measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox).
She wrote,
“My nurse just informed me that there are no vaccines for babies at the hospital!!! Mothers, are you facing the same Vaccination issues? Federal Government, please look into this. My daughter needs her immunization. One year and counting.”
This experience prompted Kadiri to leverage her platform to call on the Nigerian government to address this pressing issue. Vaccines are vital for protecting children from preventable diseases, and their unavailability can have severe implications.
By sharing her story, Kadiri hopes to raise awareness and push the authorities to ensure these critical vaccines are accessible to all children in Nigeria.
The MMR vaccine is particularly important, safeguarding children from four serious diseases: measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox). To ensure effective protection, the vaccine is administered in two doses. The first dose is typically given to babies between 9 and 15 months old, with a second dose following when they are between 15 months and 6 years old. There needs to be at least a four-week gap between the two doses to ensure maximum efficacy.
Through her advocacy, Ruth Kadiri is drawing attention to a significant public health issue, urging swift action to protect the health and future of Nigeria’s children.