Bangladesh battles severe measles outbreak as vaccination coverage falls

Bangladesh, home to 178 million people, is facing the world’s most serious measles epidemic this year after its previously praised childhood immunisation program collapsed. Since mid-March, more than a thousand people have died, the vast majority being under-five children, according to WHO. The agency notes that achieving 95% coverage is essential, yet the first-dose rate slipped to roughly 90% and the second-dose to the mid-80s in 2025, a drop attributed to political upheaval, health-worker strikes and logistical failures.

In the hard-hit Sylhet area, families recount losing toddlers because no health worker arrived to administer the vaccine. A government emergency drive aimed to vaccinate 20 million children, but registration gaps left about four million children out of the target group. Officials have launched a new campaign to reach the remaining 3.4 million children, while hospitals remain at capacity and dengue fever adds further strain.