Bangladesh launches measles vaccination drive as child death toll passes 100 | Bangladesh
Bangladesh is battling its worst measles outbreak in years; More than 100 children have died due to the increase in the number of unvaccinated babies.
The government, in collaboration with the United Nations, began conducting an emergency measles-rubella vaccination campaign for children across the country after more than 900 cases were confirmed since March.
Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease that causes fever, respiratory symptoms, and a characteristic rash and can sometimes cause serious or fatal complications, especially in young children.
While major gains have been made in mass vaccination against measles, there has been a recent resurgence attributed to falling vaccination rates, with more than 11 million cases recorded worldwide by 2024. This year saw a deadly outbreak in the United Kingdom that killed two people, and states across the US are also grappling with a deadly spread, with more than 2,000 cases recorded in 2025 – the worst in 30 years.
The increase in cases in Bangladesh, which started in March, is the worst the South Asian country has experienced in years. While Bangladesh has a child vaccination program for measles, the newly elected government said mismanagement by previous regimes had led to program gaps and vaccine stock shortages in sensitive areas. According to the UN, 95 percent of the population needs to be vaccinated to stop the spread of the disease.
This month’s emergency campaign will focus on children aged six months to five years in high-risk areas and will later be expanded across the country.
One-third of those affected are under nine months; This is usually when they become eligible for the measles vaccine. Experts say this shows a worrying gap in the programme.
“This resurgence highlights critical immunity gaps, particularly among zero-dose and under-vaccinated children, while infections among infants under nine months who are not yet eligible for routine vaccination are of particular concern,” said Rana Flowers, Unicef’s representative in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh’s newly appointed health minister Sardar Muhammad Sakhawat Husain told parliament on Monday that political turmoil in Bangladesh over the past two years following the ouster of prime minister Sheikh Hasina in an uprising in 2024 has led to vaccine supplies being disrupted and the usual measles vaccination campaigns not being conducted. The current government only came to power with elections held in February.
Officials advise parents to go to hospitals when someone is suspected of having measles or even has a high fever, rather than relying on local pharmacies.
Since the launch of a major vaccination campaign in 1979, Bangladesh has increased the proportion of children fully vaccinated from just 2% to 81.6%. But experts continue to warn that there are still significant differences in measles vaccine coverage in the country of 170 million people.
Unicef said in a statement that the current increase in measles is due to many factors. “Bangladesh has a strong history of high vaccination coverage, but even small disruptions can lead to the gradual accumulation of immunity gaps over time,” the organization said.
