Serious concerns are being raised regarding some pharmacies in Suva raising the prices of the vaccine for meningococcal disease immediately after the Health Ministry announced that there is an outbreak in Fiji.
Fijivillage has received confirmation that one pharmacy which was selling the vaccine for around $170 to $200 before the announcement on the outbreak, is now selling the same vaccine for $325. This is just the price of the vaccine without the cost of administering the vaccine.
We have asked the Health Ministry what is being done about this as the pharmacies are clearly further profiting from this after the announcement and many citizens will not be able to afford the vaccine if they want to get one.
The Ministry has assured us that a statement is coming out today on this issue.
The Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization and other stakeholders were discussing the procurement of the vaccines of the meningococcal disease earlier this week.
This was confirmed to Fijivillage by the Assistant Health Minister, Alex O’Connor.
When asked if concessions will be given on the vaccinations, O'Connor says the outcome of the meeting will be made known later.
The Ministry of Health has already stated that it is a priority to make meningococcal C vaccines available to the public.
The ministry declared an outbreak of meningococcal disease in Fiji after three deaths this year. There have been 12 deaths recorded from 2016 to now.
The Health Ministry has stressed that these conditions are very serious and can be deadly but can be treated if detected early.
It adds that identifying symptoms early and seeking urgent medical treatment at a health facility is critical and will give a person the best chance of survival.
A person may start to feel sick within 3 to 7 days after coming in contact with the bacteria.
The ministry says symptoms of meningococcal disease, especially for older children and adults include sudden fever, vomiting, headache, and stiff neck/backache.
It says other symptoms include nausea, eyes become sensitive to light, confusion and a rash where red/purple spots are seen on the skin.
The ministry says the meningococcal disease can only be treated at a health facility with antibiotic medication specifically used for this disease.
