Unvaccinated children account for majority of measles deaths in Bangladesh study
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A study conducted at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute has revealed that 80 percent of children hospitalized with measles were unvaccinated, highlighting a critical gap in the nation’s immunization coverage. The research, carried out by a team of 19 experts from the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) and the hospital, analyzed 341 patients under the age of 14 between April and May.
Presenting the findings at a seminar hosted by BRAC University, Dr. Mustafizur Rahman, senior director of the infectious diseases division at icddr,b, noted that 43 percent of the unvaccinated children were infants under six months old, too young to be eligible for the vaccine under current guidelines. Among children older than nine months, 37 percent remained entirely unvaccinated, while only 14 percent had received a single dose and 6 percent had completed the two-dose regimen.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Dr. Rahman explained that the nine-month threshold for vaccination is rooted in the fact that maternal antibodies provide protection that wanes between six and nine months. Research indicates that while vaccines administered between four and six months show limited efficacy, protection rates climb significantly to nearly 90 percent when administered between nine and 12 months. He suggested that initiating vaccination programs earlier could have potentially mitigated the severity of the recent outbreak.
Data from the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) further underscores the lethality of the disease among the unprotected. Professor Mahmudur Rahman, former director of IEDCR, reported that 91 percent of the 337 measles-related fatalities analyzed in his study had never received a vaccine. Notably, 52 percent of these deaths involved children under nine months of age.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Experts at the seminar emphasized the complex interplay between measles and other health factors. Professor Abid Hossain Mollla, former head of pediatrics at Dhaka Medical College, identified pneumonia as a primary cause of mortality in measles-affected children, noting that nutritional status and exclusive breastfeeding remain vital components of infant defense. The panel collectively called for expanded research into immunization efficacy and the potential inclusion of pregnant women in vaccination initiatives to better protect newborns.
The urgency of the situation is reflected in the most recent national health data, which indicates a rising toll. Since March 15, the country has recorded 788 deaths involving children linked to measles and its associated symptoms. With 938 additional children currently exhibiting symptoms and 113 new laboratory-confirmed cases, public health experts continue to urge for an intensified focus on comprehensive immunization strategies and broader pediatric health surveillance.
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