DHAKA: Bangladesh’s deadliest outbreak of measles does not appear to be slowing despite nationwide vaccination efforts, doctors say, as they fear a new surge in infections following increased transmission during Eid Al-Adha homecoming.
Since the 1990s, Bangladesh’s vaccination campaigns have been able to contain the highly contagious airborne disease, which is especially dangerous for children under the age of five.
But immunization was disrupted amid political turmoil in 2024, after student-led protests ousted the previous administration.
The caretaker Cabinet, which ruled the country until late February, has missed the supplementary mass vaccination that should have taken place during its tenure.
The outbreak was officially recorded on March 15, and 585 children have since died with measles symptoms, while 71,000 have been hospitalized, according to data from the Directorate General of Health Services released on Monday.
