Emergency jabs after 100 children die of suspected measles in a month in Bangladesh

Emergency Jabs After 100 Children Die of Suspected Measles in a Month in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has initiated an urgent vaccination drive following a measles outbreak that has claimed over 100 lives, primarily young children, in less than a month. This may mark the deadliest wave of the disease in the country’s recent history, according to health ministry records. The campaign began on Sunday, responding to a surge in suspected cases exceeding 7,500 since March 15, with over 900 confirmed infections, a stark contrast to the mere 125 recorded in the entire year of 2025.

Program Gaps Exposed

Despite longstanding efforts to vaccinate children against measles, the current crisis highlights vulnerabilities in the system. Rana Flowers, Unicef’s representative in Bangladesh, emphasized in a statement that vaccines are critical to child survival, warning that the outbreak poses a grave threat to thousands of children, particularly the youngest and most at-risk.

“Vaccines are foundational to child survival,” Flowers said. “The current measles outbreak is putting thousands of children, especially the youngest and most vulnerable, at serious risk.”

Shahriar Sajjad, a health department official, noted that nearly a third of those affected were under nine months old—ages too young for routine immunization. “Infants not yet eligible for vaccines are especially concerning,” Flowers added.

Political and Pandemic Delays

Bangladesh had planned special measles vaccination campaigns every four years, but these efforts stalled after 2020. Sajjad cited procurement challenges as the reason for the delay, though some attribute the shortage to the interim government that followed the 2024 protests. The nation’s long-ruling leader, Sheikh Hasina, was ousted during widespread anti-government demonstrations, leading to a period of political instability. A new government was elected only in February, after a year of governance by an interim administration.

The April 2024 vaccination drive was postponed due to logistical hurdles, with the Daily Star reporting that vaccine procurement issues created a critical shortage. Unicef stressed that measles resurgences stem from “accumulated gaps” in immunization, not just a single factor, even as the country once maintained high vaccination coverage.

Emergency Campaign Details

To combat the spread, Bangladesh has partnered with international bodies like Unicef and the WHO to launch an emergency campaign targeting measles and rubella. This initiative, active since Sunday, will reach 30 sub-districts and focus on more than 1.2 million children aged six months to five years. Priority will be given to those who missed routine immunizations and are most susceptible to severe complications.

The campaign will intensify efforts in Dhaka, the capital, and Cox’s Bazar, which hosts densely populated Rohingya refugee camps. Health officials are also distributing infographics to educate the public on measles recognition and prevention. The disease, highly contagious and airborne, can lead to fatal complications, underscoring the urgency of the response.

Global Measles Trends

Measles remains a global health challenge, with the WHO estimating 95,000 deaths worldwide in 2024—mostly children under five. Over the past two decades, cases and deaths have declined sharply, from 38 million in 2000 to 11 million in 2024. However, the Lancet reported that 2024 and 2025 saw the highest number of outbreaks in over 20 years, driven by falling vaccination rates in regions like Asia and Africa.