Muscat: A shortage of chickenpox vaccines in Oman has led to a health scare in the country, with private hospitals and polyclinics unable to meet demand for more than a month.
Chickenpox, a highly contagious disease, is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, with symptoms including blister-like rashes, itching, tiredness, and fever. The vaccine for the disease — Varilrix, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) — is in short supply in the country, which has resulted in endless waits for residents to receive their shots.
Confirming the acute shortage of Varilrix, an official from the logistics team of Muscat Pharmacy, the sole supplier of the vaccine in the country, said: “This is the first time that such an acute shortage is taking place in the country. The hospitals and clinics approved by the Ministry of Health for immunisation in the private sector have been affected.”
Gulf News can report that private hospitals have had to turn away patients who arrived for their shots as they are out of stock of the vaccine due to its non-availability with the suppliers.
Confirming the shortage of Varilrix, an official from the vaccine department at Badr Al Samaa Group of Hospitals and Polyclinics, Ruwi, said: “Fresh stocks of Varilrix which costs RO 28 are out of supply for the last three months. An adult is administered two doses of the vaccine with a dose of 0.5ml each. Along with chickenpox vaccine, hepatitis A and typhoid vaccines are also out of stock.”
At Al Hayat International Hospital, an official from the vaccine department added: “We are awaiting fresh stocks of Varilrix from the supplier since last month. There are a few cases of both adults and children contracting chickenpox due to changes in the weather. Medics will resume the immunisation process for prevention of the contagious disease with the arrival of new stocks of the vaccine.”
Chickenpox is rife among children under 12 years of age. Being contagious, this has caused a stir among adults to vaccinate themselves and their children against the virus.
Health care professionals have warned that the virus is spread by an infected person when he coughs or sneezes, or with direct contact with discharges from rashes.
Amid the paucity of the vaccine, other private hospitals and polyclinics have reported that their supplies of Varilrix are waning. Government hospitals have said they will only make the vaccine available to serious cases.
An official from Royal Hospital noted that there is a very low stock of the chickenpox vaccine, but the vaccine can be made available to patients admitted and treated at the hospital. Royal Hospital is owned and administered by the Ministry of Health.
There has been an exponential growth in the chickenpox cases in Oman from 5,955 in 1985 to 18,376 in 2014, according to report by the Ministry of Health.
GSK has said that fresh stocks of Varilrix will be available in December 2017 and patients seeking the vaccine are eyeing that date optimistically.
