A measles-rubella vaccination drive was launched on Sunday across four city corporations, including Dhaka, as authorities step up efforts to contain a growing outbreak of measles in Bangladesh. The campaign is being carried out in Dhaka North and South, Mymensingh, and Barishal, and will continue until April 20.
From early morning, large numbers of parents were seen lining up at vaccination centers with their children. After a long wait, many expressed relief at being able to vaccinate their children. At Korail in the capital, a parent named Atik Hasan said: “Today is truly a day of relief. I have just vaccinated my child. I was very worried for so long. This is a very good initiative by the government and should be expanded nationwide quickly.”
At Dhaka South City Corporation’s Nagar Bhaban, many parents also turned up for vaccination. Rownak Jahan brought her three-year-four-month-old daughter, Inara Afra Fatiha, to receive the vaccine. She said: “With measles cases rising so rapidly, there is no alternative to awareness. Vaccination is extremely important. That’s why I came on the very first day.”
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony held at the Dhaka South City Corporation conference room, Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain said that measles could be brought under control if vaccination targets are achieved. He added: “Due to the rising measles outbreak across the country, the government is expanding the vaccination campaign. If we can successfully complete it in the two Dhaka city corporations, the situation can be significantly controlled.”
Referring to dengue, he said: “The prevalence of dengue may increase in the coming months. The government has already started preparations, but there is no alternative to public awareness.”
Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services, Professor Dr Pravat Chandra Biswas, said that isolation is crucial to preventing the spread of measles. He noted that special isolation and treatment facilities have been arranged in all government hospitals. Describing the vaccination campaign as a “movement,” he emphasized that it cannot succeed without collective participation.
Meanwhile, at the campaign launch event in Korail, State Minister for Health Dr MA Muhit said: “To make this emergency campaign successful, everyone must take initiative in their respective areas. This is also an opportunity for political leaders to go door to door and raise awareness about vaccination.” He added that all children up to 59 months of age must be vaccinated. “It is not enough to vaccinate only your own child; herd immunity is essential to prevent the spread,” he said. According to him, at least 95% of children need to be brought under vaccination coverage to reduce transmission risks.
Earlier, an emergency vaccination campaign was launched on April 5 in 30 upazilas across 18 high-risk districts. Under the current campaign in four city corporations, around 1.22 million children aged between 6 months and 5 years in Dhaka’s two city corporations will be vaccinated. The campaign will run daily from 8am to 4pm, excluding holidays. A nationwide rollout is scheduled to begin on April 20.
According to health authorities, children aged 6 to 59 months can receive the measles vaccine even if they have been vaccinated before. However, children with fever or those hospitalized should not receive the vaccine until they recover.
Data from the Directorate General of Health Services show that between March 15 and Sunday (8am), a total of 15,563 suspected measles cases and 2,639 confirmed cases were reported nationwide. During the same period, there were 151 suspected deaths and 28 confirmed deaths due to measles.
In the last 24 hours, 1,268 suspected cases were reported, of which 150 were confirmed. During the same period, six suspected deaths and four confirmed deaths were recorded.