Bangladesh measles outbreak death toll rises to 656 as four more children die
Dhaka, June 15
As many as four children have died from measles and measles-like symptoms in Bangladesh in the 24 hours until 8 am on Monday, raising the total number of fatalities in the country to 656, local media reported.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has classified one fatality as confirmed measles death while three others as suspected. The latest update has taken the number of suspected measles fatalities to 563, while the number of laboratory confirmed measles death has risen to 93, United News of Bangladesh (UNB) reported.
During the 24-hour period, 972 new suspected measles cases were reported in Bangladesh, raising the number of suspected cases in the country to 86,923. As many as 64 new confirmed measles were reported during the same period, taking the total number of laboratory-confirmed infections to 10,387.
Since March 15, a total of 71,467 patients with suspected measles have been admitted to hospitals in Bangladesh. Among them, 67,878 patients have recovered, according to the DGHS, United News of Bangladesh (UNB) reported.
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 immunisation 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 more than 1,000 children daily with measles or measles-like symptoms, while fatalities continue to rise.
"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.
Last month, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) said that it had repeatedly warned the country's earlier interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, both through written communication and meetings with Health Ministry officials, about vaccine shortages that could trigger a major health crisis.
Addressing a press briefing in Dhaka, Rana Flowers, UNICEF representative to Bangladesh, said that the UN agency sent five to six letters to the health authorities on the issue and raised the matter in 10 meetings during the tenure of the previous interim government.
"From 2024, we were warning the government that the shortage of vaccines could lead to an outbreak. From 2024 to 2025 and into 2026, we sent letters, and we had 10 different meetings, signalling this was a problem and that orders for vaccines needed to be given. They could not," The Daily Star quoted Flowers as saying.
According to Flowers, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban raised concerns over vaccine shortages at a meeting with the Foreign Ministry during his visit to Bangladesh in August last year.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As a mother, this news is chilling. The article rightly points out that "100% vaccination" on paper doesn't mean actual children got the shot. In India too, we've seen similar issues in remote villages. We need more grassroots health workers like ASHA workers to track every child. Bangladesh's crisis is a mirror for us. 😢
This is tragic and frustrating. UNICEF warned the government repeatedly about vaccine shortages from 2024, and yet the interim government under Yunus failed to act. How many more children had to die to learn that governance matters in healthcare? India must not repeat this bureaucratic negligence.
The expert quoted, Be-Nazir Ahmed, makes a valid point – "coverage appears 100% on paper while thousands remain unvaccinated in reality." This is exactly the kind of data manipulation we see in some Indian states too. We need independent audits of vaccination drives, not just government claims. Lives depend on it.
More than 1,000 children admitted daily with measles-like symptoms even after an emergency vaccination drive? That's a massive red flag. I hope India's Mission Indradhanush and other programs are actually reaching the last mile. Vaccine hesitancy and infrastructure gaps are real problems on both sides of the border.
While we sympathize with Bangladesh, India must also introspect. In 2023, WHO said global measles deaths rose 43% – and India was a major contributor. These 656 Bangladeshi children are a reminder that no country is safe till all children are vaccinated. Let's use this tragedy to push for stronger immunization drives in our own districts.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.