Govt to launch fresh measles-rubella vaccination campaign on 26 Sept to reach missed children

The government will launch a month-long special campaign on 26 September to identify children who were missed during the measles-rubella (MR) vaccination programme and bring them under vaccination coverage.

The "Intensified MR Catch-up Vaccination" campaign will continue until 31 October, Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said at a press briefing at the Health Ministry's conference room this afternoon (20 September).

Under the campaign, children aged 6-59 months who missed the vaccine or were not vaccinated will be identified and vaccinated, the minister said.

Children who turn six months during the campaign period and become eligible will also be vaccinated.

The minister said the government had taken several measures to contain the measles outbreak reported in the country this year and protect children.

The measles-rubella vaccination programme has been conducted in phases since April, with around 1.98 crore children vaccinated so far, he said.

The government has also strengthened routine immunisation, disease surveillance and treatment for children infected with measles.

It has also formulated a national guideline on "Measles-Rubella Clinical Case Management" and trained health workers, he said.

However, recent field-level data, rapid convenience monitoring by the WHO and Unicef, and information on children infected with measles showed that some remained outside measles-rubella vaccination coverage.

"Analysis of data on children diagnosed with measles at different hospitals showed that a significant number of the affected children had not received the measles vaccine," the minister said.

The government has therefore taken an initiative to identify and quickly vaccinate children who were missed.

The Health Ministry aims to ensure that no eligible child is left out of measles-rubella vaccination, Sakhawat said.

"This time, we will not just sit at vaccination centres. We will involve people across villages so that no child is left behind," he said.

Around 34 lakh children will be targeted under the campaign, while efforts will also be made to vaccinate those who turn six months old during the campaign period, he said.

Giving an example, the minister said a child who is 10 days short of six months on the vaccination day may not be eligible then. Authorities will monitor such cases to ensure the child receives the vaccine 10 days later.

The nationwide campaign will begin at 10am on 26 September, with deputy commissioners, civil surgeons, directors, upazila health and family planning officers and upazila nirbahi officers involved in the programme, he said.