Over 2cr children vaccinated against measles: Health minister

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain on Monday said more than 2 crore children across the country have already been vaccinated against measles, surpassing the government's initial target.

"The measles vaccination campaign is still continuing despite exceeding the target," he said while speaking to reporters at Cumilla Medical College Hospital in the morning.

According to him, the target achievement rate of the country's measles vaccination programme has reached 122%.

The measles infection rate has come down to almost zero in the 18 upazilas where the vaccination campaign was conducted in the first phase, he mentioned.

The minister visited the medical as well as Cumilla General Hospital.

He stated that children are being vaccinated under both routine Expanded Programme on Immunizsation (EPI) and special outreach programme.

Sakhawat Husain said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is working sincerely to prevent measles and assured that various problems in the country's health sector will be resolved gradually.

Responding to a question whether the government is seeking an independent investigation from the World Health Organization on measles infection and deaths, the minister said, "If I hang ten people on the gallows but cannot stop a mother from losing her child to measles, will I be saved?"

"Punishment alone will not solve the problem. Our first priority is to protect children affected by measles and ensure that no mother loses a child."

Sixteen children died from measles-like symptoms in Bangladesh in the 24 hours till 8:00am on Sunday, the 2nd-highest death toll in a single day since the outbreak in March last.

With the latest fatalities, the death toll has reached 528 this year.