Bangladesh has launched an emergency vaccination campaign after a fast-spreading measles outbreak is suspected of killing more than 100 people, mostly children, in what may be the country's most lethal wave of the disease in recent history. The campaign, which began on Sunday, comes amid more than 7,500 suspected measles cases since 15 March, according to health ministry data. More than 900 of these cases have been confirmed - a sharp increase from 2025, when just 125 measles cases were recorded over the entire year, local media report.
While Bangladesh has long vaccinated children against the highly contagious disease, the recent outbreak has exposed gaps in its programme, raising concern. Vaccines are foundational to child survival, Rana Flowers, the Unicef representative in Bangladesh, said in a statement on Sunday, adding that the current measles outbreak was putting thousands of children, especially the youngest and most vulnerable, at serious risk.
In Bangladesh, a nation of 170 million people, routine measles vaccines are given to children as young as nine months old. But Shahriar Sajjad, deputy director of the Health Department, told BBC Bangla that about one-third of those infected in the recent outbreak were under nine months old. The infections of these young infants who are not yet eligible for routine vaccination, are especially alarming, said Flowers from Unicef.
Along with international partners like Unicef and the World Health Organization (WHO), Bangladesh has launched an emergency vaccination campaign for measles and rubella, a milder disease with similar symptoms to measles. This campaign targets over 1.2 million children between six months and five years old, particularly focusing on those who have missed routine immunisation and are most vulnerable.
Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease, which can lead to severe complications and death. Symptoms include high fever, sore, red and watery eyes, coughing, and sneezing. Vaccination is critical to prevent outbreaks, and the WHO advises that at least 95% of the population must be vaccinated to stop the spread of measles.
While Bangladesh has long vaccinated children against the highly contagious disease, the recent outbreak has exposed gaps in its programme, raising concern. Vaccines are foundational to child survival, Rana Flowers, the Unicef representative in Bangladesh, said in a statement on Sunday, adding that the current measles outbreak was putting thousands of children, especially the youngest and most vulnerable, at serious risk.
In Bangladesh, a nation of 170 million people, routine measles vaccines are given to children as young as nine months old. But Shahriar Sajjad, deputy director of the Health Department, told BBC Bangla that about one-third of those infected in the recent outbreak were under nine months old. The infections of these young infants who are not yet eligible for routine vaccination, are especially alarming, said Flowers from Unicef.
Along with international partners like Unicef and the World Health Organization (WHO), Bangladesh has launched an emergency vaccination campaign for measles and rubella, a milder disease with similar symptoms to measles. This campaign targets over 1.2 million children between six months and five years old, particularly focusing on those who have missed routine immunisation and are most vulnerable.
Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease, which can lead to severe complications and death. Symptoms include high fever, sore, red and watery eyes, coughing, and sneezing. Vaccination is critical to prevent outbreaks, and the WHO advises that at least 95% of the population must be vaccinated to stop the spread of measles.
