Bangladesh measles outbreak death toll reaches 642 as three more children die
Dhaka, June 11
Three more children died due to measles-like symptoms in Bangladesh in 24 hours until 8 am on Thursday, taking the total number of confirmed and suspected deaths in the country to 642, local media reported.
The latest three fatalities were identified as suspected measles deaths, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). With the latest fatalities, the number of suspected measles deaths has increased to 550 while the number of laboratory-confirmed measles deaths remained unchanged, the United News of Bangladesh (UNB) reported.
A total of 1,110 new suspected measles cases were reported during the 24-hour period, raising the total number of suspected cases in Bangladesh to 83,139.
Meanwhile, 132 new confirmed cases were reported, raising the total number of laboratory confirmed measles infections in Bangladesh to 10,059.
Since March 15, 68,056 patients with suspected measles have been admitted to hospital in Bangladesh. Among these patients, 64,293 have recovered, according to the DGHS.
Bangladesh's severe measles outbreak continues to spread despite government claims that vaccination coverage has exceeded 100 per cent of the targeted children, raising concerns among immunization experts about vaccine effectiveness and coverage gaps, leading Bangladeshi daily 'Dhaka Tribune' reported.
More than a month after a nationwide emergency measles vaccination drive concluded, hospitals across the country admit over 1,000 children daily with measles or measles-like symptoms, while fatalities continue to rise.
The persistent rise in cases has alarmed public health experts, who said that vaccination coverage does not necessarily translate into protection unless children develop sufficient immunity.
"Measles transmission should decline significantly once vaccine coverage exceeds 90 per cent. If vaccination has truly reached the reported level, then infections should have fallen much more sharply by now," Dhaka Tribune quoted Be-Nazir Ahmed, former director of the government's disease control branch, as saying.
According to Be-Nazir Ahmed, official targets may not accurately reflect the true size of the eligible children.
"In some cases, coverage may appear to be 100 per cent on paper while thousands of children remain unvaccinated in reality," he added.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The 100% coverage claim seems like a statistical illusion. Either they're counting wrong, or the vaccine isn't working as expected. Either way, 642 dead children is a failure of public health infrastructure. Bangladesh needs to audit its vaccination data immediately.
This is a stark reminder for us in India too. We have many remote areas where vaccination drives might not reach all children. The government should double-check coverage in states with low health indices. One life lost is too many, especially when it's preventable. Prayers for Bangladesh 🙏
83,000 suspected cases and still rising? Something is seriously wrong with their healthcare response. The delay in containment is costing lives. Also, over 1,000 new admissions daily shows this is far from under control. I hope international health agencies step in to help.
The problem is always the ground reality vs government claims. 'Coverage exceeds 100%' is mathematically absurd unless they're counting the same child twice. This is a classic case of data manipulation to show success. Meanwhile, children are dying. Wake up, authorities! 😤
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases. If vaccination coverage is truly high, we shouldn't see this level of outbreak. The expert's point about immunity gaps is crucial—maybe the vaccine efficacy is lower due to logistical issues like cold chain failures. This needs urgent investigation.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.