More than 81 per cent of children in Bangladesh have already been vaccinated against measles, while the government has reiterated its goal of achieving full coverage in the near future, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said on Sunday.
Speaking at a press briefing at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka after the second session of the Deputy Commissioners’ Conference, the minister said vaccination efforts are progressing steadily across the country.
“We have reached 81 per cent coverage in measles vaccination. The remaining children will be brought under vaccination very soon,” he stated.
He added that measles is currently under control in Bangladesh and that the death rate has shown a significant decline compared to earlier periods.
The minister also assured that vaccine supply is adequate and distribution is being maintained smoothly nationwide.
Authorities have already launched large-scale immunisation drives to strengthen protection against the disease.
A nationwide emergency measles-rubella vaccination campaign began on 20 April, targeting around 1.8 crore children aged six months to under five years. Earlier, on 5 April, a separate emergency initiative supported by UNICEF, WHO, and Gavi was introduced in 30 upazilas across 18 high-risk districts, aiming to vaccinate over 12 lakh young children.
Despite these efforts, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) reported continued fatalities.
In the 24 hours leading up to 8am on Sunday, 10 children died with measles-related symptoms.
Of these, one death was confirmed as measles-related, while nine remain suspected cases, with four recorded in Dhaka.
Since 15 March, confirmed measles deaths have reached 50, while suspected deaths have risen to 244, according to official data.
