The measles outbreak has surged alarmingly across the country, with a sharp rise in infections reported in Dhaka. At the Infectious Diseases Hospital and other facilities, the number of affected children continues to climb as the highly contagious virus spreads rapidly through the respiratory system.
Health experts say gaps in vaccination remain the primary driver of the outbreak. Many children are still outside the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) or fail to complete the full dosage, leaving them without adequate immunity. Missed schedules, lack of awareness, and delays due to illness often result in children not returning for vaccination, while occasional vaccine shortages further compound the problem.
Although overall coverage is high, around 10% of children remain unvaccinated. The government’s periodic “catch-up” campaigns are meant to address this gap, but a planned programme at the end of 2024 was not implemented due to adverse conditions, leaving many children vulnerable. Experts say this, along with high population density and widespread child malnutrition, has accelerated transmission.
Doctors warn that measles is not limited to fever and rash and can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia, severe diarrhoea, ear infections that may cause hearing loss, and encephalitis. However, timely vaccination can prevent most of these risks. Children are typically given two doses—at nine and 15 months—while those who missed vaccination can receive two doses at least 28 days apart. Adults may also be vaccinated if they have not received it আগে, though it is not administered during pregnancy. In addition to the government programme, private facilities offer the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine.
Dr Shrebash Paul, junior consultant at the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Mohakhali, said 560 measles patients were admitted in the first three months of 2026, compared to just 69 in the entire previous year. Monthly admissions rose from 35 in January to 88 in February before surging in March. While only around 10% of samples tested positive in earlier years, about 90% have been positive this year.
Most infected children are below nine months of age and have not yet received the vaccine, he said. Cases among vaccinated children are fewer, though malnutrition has been identified as a key factor among those infected despite vaccination. Children with uncomplicated measles usually recover within 10 to 15 days, although some develop pneumonia.
He added that measles is one of the most contagious diseases, with one infected child capable of transmitting the virus to 18–20 others. Patients can spread the disease for about a week before symptoms appear and continue to do so for about a week after the rash develops.
Hospitals are under severe strain, with patients being treated on cabin floors, in corridors, and even in front of lifts due to bed shortages. The government has instructed other hospitals to admit measles patients to ease pressure, but the situation remains critical. Currently, around 50 patients are undergoing treatment.
At present, 12 children are in ICU and HDU care, exceeding the ICU’s five-bed capacity, with seven patients being accommodated. One child is in critical condition. In the past three months, 22 children have died from measles.
Doctors say symptoms initially include fever, cold, and cough, followed by Koplik spots inside the mouth, red eyes, and a rash. Without complications, the disease typically resolves within 7–10 days.
In one case, a 16-month-old child was seen lying in his mother’s arms in a hospital corridor after being referred from multiple facilities. Having developed pneumonia, the child was initially treated beside a washroom and later on a veranda, but had yet to be allocated a bed, highlighting the pressure on the healthcare system.
Experts stress that improving vaccination coverage, increasing public awareness, and urgently implementing catch-up campaigns are critical to containing the outbreak.
