Dhaka: Bangladesh is battling a measles outbreak among young children, with more than 520 children already dead. This is the most severe and deadliest measles outbreak in the country in decades.
According to Thai News Agency, the Bangladeshi Ministry of Health reported that since March 15, there have been a cumulative total of 62,507 suspected measles cases, with 8,494 confirmed cases. The death toll currently stands at 528. The outbreak has spread to 58 out of 64 provinces, encompassing eight administrative districts.
The majority of those infected and killed are children aged 6 months to 5 years, particularly vulnerable children from low-income and malnourished families. Unvaccinated infants under 9 months old are the most severely affected. Hospitals in Dhaka are facing an overwhelming number of patients and a severe shortage of pediatric ICU beds. Doctors report that children admitted to hospitals are often already in critical condition, suffering from respiratory failure and severe infections of the eyes, throat, and lungs. Furthermore, the shortage of diagnostic kits in rural and urban clinics is a major obstacle, delaying disease confirmation.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) stated that Bangladesh's basic vaccination system has been disrupted since the unrest and protests against the government in 2024, resulting in many children not receiving scheduled vaccinations. Bangladeshi authorities admitted that the vaccination campaign, which was supposed to begin last year, only started in earnest this year due to a nationwide vaccine shortage in 2024-2025.
However, the Bangladeshi government, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, is currently accelerating a nationwide measles and rubella vaccination campaign, reaching over 18 million children. They are also expediting the distribution of vitamin A to reduce complications in children and beginning to adjust vaccination criteria to include children under 9 months old in high-risk areas. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Health estimates that it may take several more months for the vaccine's effectiveness to completely break the chain of transmission.