Nigeria meningitis: Vaccine cost cripples response to outbreak

Nigeria does not have enough vaccine doses to deal with a
deadly meningitis outbreak because they are too expensive, 
a senior official has said.

Each vaccine dose costs $50, and only 500,000 doses
 are currently available, Dr Chikuwe Ihekuwazu, head of Nigeria's Centre for Disease Control said.

The outbreak which is said to be spreading rapidly has
 already killed more than 300 people.

It is the worst to hit Nigeria since 2009 when it killed 156 people.

Since December, 2,524 cases including 328 deaths have 
been reported from across the country.

The predominant type of meningitis causing the outbreak is type C, which is unusual.

Nigeria, which lies on the meningitis belt, stretching from
 the Sahel region to the Horn of Africa, is used to type A meningitis outbreaks.

"The government has mounted a significant response which will culminate in a broad vaccination campaign in the epicentre of the outbreak which is Zanfara state in north-west of Nigeria," Dr Chikuwe told the BBC's Newsday programme.