Bangladesh Begins Nationwide Measles-Rubella Vaccination Drive Amid Deadly Outbreak
Bangladesh started a month-long measles-rubella campaign on Sep 26, aiming to immunise 3.4 million children after a severe outbreak that has killed over 1,000 people.
On Sep 26, Bangladesh rolled out a month-long measles-rubella vaccination campaign covering 3.4 million children who missed prior immunisations, adjusting the age threshold to include infants as young as six months. The outbreak, described by the US CDC as the world’s largest, has resulted in 1,087 reported deaths, including 101 laboratory-confirmed fatalities, and has hospitalised more than 165,000 patients. Since mid-March, authorities have logged nearly 187,000 suspected cases and 21,099 confirmed infections.
Experts attribute the surge to interruptions in routine vaccination programmes during 2024 and 2025, caused by political unrest and supply issues. While emergency campaigns since April have reached almost 20 million children, significant immunity gaps persist, making the new drive critical to curb transmission and prevent further deaths.
Why it matters
The campaign seeks to stop a deadly measles outbreak that has overwhelmed Bangladesh's health system and claimed over a thousand lives.
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