Despite signs that the measles outbreak may be easing, deaths continue to be reported, raising concerns among public health experts that the country has yet to achieve sufficient herd immunity to stop transmission.
Four more children died from suspected measles in the 24 hours leading up to 8:00am on Sunday, bringing the total number of confirmed and suspected deaths to 712, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
All four recent fatalities were classified as suspected cases, raising that specific toll to 619, while laboratory-confirmed deaths remained unchanged at 93.
During the same 24-hour period, the DGHS recorded 941 new suspected cases, pushing the nationwide total to 99,207. Another 116 infections were laboratory-confirmed, bringing the cumulative number of confirmed cases to 11,710.
To contain the outbreak, the government launched an emergency measles-rubella vaccination campaign in 30 high-burden upazilas across 18 districts on 5 April.
As cases and deaths continued to climb, the drive expanded to four city corporations on April 12 before rolling out nationwide on 20 April.
According to the latest DGHS data, the campaign has vaccinated 18,015,064 children at the divisional level against a target of 18,476,925. Meanwhile, city corporations have vaccinated 1,905,950 children against a target of 2,030,676.
However, public health expert and former principal scientific officer of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Mohammad Mushtuq Husain, said measles transmission has declined only in areas where at least 95 per cent of eligible children have been vaccinated.
“The campaign has been implemented unevenly in many places, preventing herd immunity from being achieved,” he said.
Mushtuq urged health authorities to follow standard vaccination protocols, including door-to-door mobilisation and follow-up visits to reach children who miss vaccination sessions.
“Stronger implementation is needed to bring transmission and deaths under control,” he added.
He also warned that children who recover from measles could face serious risks if they later contract dengue, and urged authorities not to underestimate the outbreak.
The ongoing measles response coincided with the launch of the National Vitamin A Plus Campaign on Sunday, which aims to administer Vitamin A capsules to around 25.5 million children aged between six and 59 months across the country.
The Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain, inaugurated the campaign at the Bangladesh Medical University in the capital.
The minister said special arrangements had been made to ensure that no child is left out, and that children who miss the first day will have another opportunity to receive the capsule.
The minister said that Bangladesh had procured 2.60 crore Vitamin A capsules through UNICEF after international quality testing, and that 2.55 crore capsules had already been distributed nationwide for the campaign. The target is to reach 2.4 crore children.
Professor Dr Halimur Rashid, director (Disease Control) at the DGHS, told TIMES of Bangladesh that the measles situation is gradually improving.
“The number of cases is steadily declining, although it’s not possible to say exactly when the outbreak will end,” he said.
“As immunity develops after infection and the vaccination campaign continues, the situation is expected to improve.”
He added that the Vitamin A Plus Campaign is expected to contribute to measles control and help reduce the burden of the disease.
