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 March 15, 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.
Why is there a spike in measles in Bangladesh?
In Bangladesh, a nation of 170 million people, routine measles vaccines are given to children as young as nine months old. However, 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 routine vaccinations, Bangladesh conducts special measles vaccination campaigns every four years. But these campaigns haven't gone according to plan and have been postponed since 2020 due to Covid-19 and the political situation in the country.
The delay in vaccination campaigns has left many children unprotected, leading to the current outbreak. A health official mentioned that procurement issues had led to a shortage of vaccines, including for measles.
What is Bangladesh doing about it?
In response, Bangladesh, in collaboration with international partners like Unicef and the World Health Organization (WHO), has initiated an emergency vaccination campaign targeting more than 1.2 million children between six months and five years old across various sub-districts. The campaign will prioritize immunization for children who have missed routine vaccinations, particularly focusing on vulnerable areas such as Dhaka and refugee camps.
What is measles?
Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease that can lead to severe complications and death. Symptoms include high fever, sore red and watery eyes, coughing, and sneezing. The WHO estimates that around 95,000 people died from measles globally in 2024, most of them children under five.
Are measles cases rising around the world?
Despite a significant decline in measles cases worldwide over the past two decades, the WHO has warned of resurgences in various regions as vaccination rates decline following the pandemic. The rise in cases demonstrates the need for robust immunization programs to prevent future outbreaks.
