Measles outbreak persists in Bangladesh despite mass vaccination campaign
Measles continues to pose a significant public health challenge across Bangladesh, with hospitals nationwide reporting persistent admissions despite a massive government vaccination campaign launched two months ago. As of Monday, Pabna General Hospital reported 50 patients currently receiving care, with 12 new admissions recorded in the last 24 hours alone, indicating that the outbreak remains far from under control.
The government’s comprehensive vaccination drive, which targeted 18.01 million children aged six months to five years, began in phases on April 5. Although expanded immunization officials report that coverage exceeded 100 percent in some regions, reports from various districts—including Barguna, Madurai, Naogaon, Jessore, and Chapainawabganj—show that infection rates remain high. In Barguna, health officials confirmed 62 cases and 659 symptomatic patients, with two deaths reported. Similarly, the Porsha Upazila Health Complex in Naogaon has documented 80 cases and three fatalities, while the Chapainawabganj General Hospital admitted 274 patients with measles-like symptoms in the past ten days.
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Experts are questioning the efficacy and oversight of the campaign. Professor Mahmudur Rahman, former director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), noted that while immunity should develop within two to three weeks of vaccination, there has been no systematic government effort to evaluate whether the targeted children have actually developed the necessary antibodies. Health officials, meanwhile, have offered little clarity regarding the ongoing spread. Halimur Rashid, director of the Disease Control branch of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), maintained that infections are decreasing but declined to provide a timeline for total containment, noting only that he could not specify when the outbreak would end.
Public health specialists warn that the failure to reach a 95 percent immunization threshold in all areas is preventing the development of “herd immunity,” potentially prolonging the crisis. Professor Be-Nazir Ahmed, another former director of the government’s disease control unit, suggested that the campaign’s success is now in doubt due to inconsistent coverage.
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According to data from the DGHS integrated control center, the national toll continues to rise. In the last 24 hours, 1,134 people sought treatment for measles symptoms, and three deaths were recorded. To date, 72,070 individuals have sought care, with 9,094 confirmed cases. The death toll for the year now stands at 588, comprising 498 deaths involving measles-like symptoms and 90 confirmed cases of the virus. Medical professionals, such as pediatric specialist Mahfuz Raihan, note that the most vulnerable demographic currently filling hospital wards are infants aged between two months and one year.
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