Emergency measles vaccination to begin in Dhaka, 2 other cities on Sunday

A month-long measles vaccination campaign is set to begin today (12 April) across four major city corporations, targeting nearly 12 lakh children, health officials said.

The campaign will roll out in Dhaka North, Dhaka South, Mymensingh and Barishal city corporations from 12 April to 11 May. Vaccinations will be administered daily from 8am to 4pm, excluding public holidays. A nationwide rollout is scheduled to begin on 20 April.

Health officials said the initiative aims to curb a recent surge in measles cases across the country as the government has prioritised emergency immunisation efforts following reports of increased infections in several areas.

Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain is scheduled to inaugurate the "Emergency Measles-Rubella Vaccination Campaign 2026" at the Nagar Bhaban under the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) at 9am.

State Minister for Health Dr MA Muhit is expected to launch the campaign at Ershad Field in Korail slum under ward No 19 of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC).

Under the programme, the DNCC will operate three vaccination centres in each of its 54 wards and vaccinate 494,689 children aged between six months and under five years. Of them, 47,668 children aged six to nine months will receive measles vaccines.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the DSCC has set a target of vaccinating 667,000 children, while Mymensingh and Barishal city corporations aim to cover 62,000 and 45,000 children respectively.

Officials said the campaign follows an earlier phase launched on 5 April in 30 high-risk upazilas across 18 districts.

Speaking at a seminar marking World Parkinson's Day yesterday (11 April), Health Secretary Md Kamruzzaman Chowdhury said there is no shortage of vaccines and all children aged 6 to 59 months will be brought under coverage.

Do children need another measles vaccine if they have already received it?

Dr Abu Sayeed Shimul, a paediatric specialist of Mugda Medical College Hospital, said the additional dose is needed to close immunity gaps as not all vaccinated children develop sufficient protection to prevent transmission.

He explained that measles is one of the most infectious diseases, with a single infected person capable of transmitting the virus to 12-18 susceptible individuals.

Because of this high transmissibility, the herd immunity threshold required to stop measles is more than 95%, he said.  

Herd immunity depends on how many people are effectively immune, not just how many have received vaccines, the specialist said.

Even after one or two doses, some children fail to develop adequate immunity, leaving them susceptible. As a result, even if 95% of children are vaccinated, the number of those actually immune may fall below the level required to stop transmission, he said.

2 die from measles, measles-like symptoms in 24 hours

One confirmed death and another suspected measles-related death were recorded in the 24 hours till 8am yesterday (11 April), according to the DGHS.

During the same period, 888 patients with measles-like symptoms were admitted to hospitals across the country, while 80 cases were laboratory-confirmed as measles.

At least 24 children have died from confirmed measles infections in Bangladesh so far this year. Besides, 145 children have died with symptoms consistent with measles.

The DGHS data shows that between 15 March and 11 April, a total of 2,489 measles cases have been confirmed through laboratory testing.

According to the latest health bulletin, a total of 14,385 suspected measles cases have been identified nationwide, of which 9,463 patients have already been discharged after receiving treatment.