Health Minister Sardar Sakhawat Hossain Bakul on Sunday revealed that no measles vaccinations have been administered in Bangladesh for the past eight years.
He made the remarks during a briefing at the Bangladesh China Friendship conference centre.
Minister made the disclosure amidst a significant rise in measles outbreaks across the country, noting that the current government has now allocated Tk 604 crore for the emergency procurement of new vaccines.
Speaking to journalists following the inauguration of an international pharmaceutical industry fair at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre, he stated, “The number of measles patients has increased significantly. Measles vaccines were last administered eight years ago; since then, no government has provided them”.
The Minister confirmed that the vaccine procurement process has received official approval and a national vaccination campaign is set to begin shortly. Typically, children receive their first dose of the measles vaccine at nine months and a second at 15 months, while special campaigns target children aged between nine months and 10 years.
The current resurgence was first identified on 4 January in the Rohingya camps of Cox’s Bazar, leading to a formal alert on 10 January. Simultaneously, infections have been rising in Dhaka’s slum areas.
Currently, the Infectious Disease Hospital in Mohakhali is operating beyond capacity, with the majority of patients suffering from measles.
To combat the crisis, the government has directed various hospitals to make special preparations. Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and ventilators have been placed on standby at several facilities, including the DNCC wards, the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Shishu Hospital, and Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
In light of recent child fatalities at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital linked to a shortage of intensive care facilities, the government has secured five new ventilators. Four of these units are scheduled to be dispatched to Rajshahi this Monday.
Furthermore, pharmaceutical manufacturers are expected to supply an additional 12 ventilators to strengthen the country’s medical response to the outbreak.
