Measles cases have started declining in 30 hotspot upazilas across 18 districts after the government’s accelerated vaccination drive, health officials said.
Most of the upazilas are now reporting fewer than 10 cases a day, sources concerned said.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), measles infections among children have fallen significantly in areas where the vaccination campaign was carried out in the first phase.
Under the special campaign launched on April 5, children aged five to 59 months were vaccinated in the 30 high-risk upazilas, leading to a noticeable reduction in new cases.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said the vaccination programme launched in the hotspot upazilas had brought measles cases there “almost to zero.”
He also said measles was currently under control nationwide.
WHO representative Dr Chiranjit Das said vaccines generally take two to three weeks to show effectiveness.
Figures show that after vaccination activities began on April 5 in the 30 identified hotspot upazilas, new infections have nearly disappeared.
Patient numbers started declining visibly after April 17, he said, describing the results as clear evidence of the vaccine’s effectiveness. A similar trend is also being observed in five city corporation areas.
Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Health Affairs Dr SM Ziauddin Hyder said overall child mortality from measles in the country had remained stable.
However, he said it would take several more weeks to achieve the full benefits of the vaccination campaign, as antibodies generally take three to four weeks to develop after vaccination.
DGHS director general Professor Dr Pravath Chandra Biswas told BSS that measles infections among children had declined significantly in the areas where the campaign was initially conducted.
A BSS correspondent from Chapainawabganj reported that after two patients were admitted to the district hospital in January and five in February, measles cases rose rapidly in March.
In April, the situation nearly reached epidemic proportions, with almost 100 patients being admitted daily. Currently, however, only eight to 10 patients are being admitted each day.
Chapainawabganj Civil Surgeon Dr AKM Shahab Uddin told BSS that the severity of measles in the district had declined greatly.
District Hospital Superintendent Dr Mashiur Rahman said recent admission figures indicated that the measles outbreak in Chapainawabganj was subsiding.
BSS Natore correspondent reported that the special vaccination campaign in Natore Sadar upazila had restored public confidence. Currently, there are no deaths or serious complications related to measles symptoms.
Natore District Civil Surgeon Dr Muhammad Mashiur Rahman told BSS that all target children in Natore Sadar upazila had received measles vaccines under the special measles-rubella vaccination campaign.
As a result, immunity has increased, the number of measles patients has decreased and public awareness has improved, bringing relief to residents, he said.
Pabna Civil Surgeon Md Abul Kalam Azad told BSS that children were still contracting measles, but the number of cases had dropped significantly.
In March, around 19 to 21 measles patients were admitted daily to the district hospital, whereas only eight to 10 patients are now being admitted each day, he said.