The outbreak of measles is suddenly increasing in the country, including the Rajshahi region. The lack of vaccine stock in proportion to the demand, continuous supply crisis, manpower shortage, lack of monitoring in the program, dissatisfaction among vaccination workers and lack of regular campaigns – these are the reasons why the contagious disease measles has suddenly spread in the country.

Concerns are growing among parents and relatives as measles is particularly prevalent in children under 9 months of age. More than 50 children have died in the past three months due to the airborne virus that has spread panic across the country. This information was revealed by talking to experts.

In such a situation, those concerned say that Bangladesh has shown success through the government’s Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI). In continuation of this, the target of reducing measles to zero by last year (December 31, 2025) was set. But due to the negligence of those concerned, this program of public importance is at risk.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has emphasized rapid prevention and treatment as measles infections increase in the country. To deal with the situation, the government has allocated Tk 604 crore for the purchase of all types of vaccines, including measles. The vaccines will be procured from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The supply of vaccines may start from the first week of April, said Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain. He said this in response to a question from reporters after a meeting with the US ambassador at the conference room of the Health Ministry at the Secretariat on Monday.

He said that to deal with the situation, work is underway to open ICUs, supply ventilators, and prepare specialized wards in hospitals on an emergency basis. At the same time, the vaccine procurement process is also being expedited.

The Health Minister said, “Despite the sudden increase in measles infections, we have taken immediate measures. The ICU unit, which was closed after the death of a child in Mohakhali, was reopened within just 18 hours. Separate wards, isolation facilities and ventilators have been arranged for children in various places including the capital. Initiatives have been taken to send new ventilators to Manikganj and Rajshahi and to add 20 ventilators.”

The Health Minister said that although there have been regular vaccination programs in the last decade, there has been no major measles vaccination campaign after 2018. In the meantime, the process of purchasing the vaccine has been completed and the money for purchasing the vaccine has been paid to the international organization UNICEF. The Health Minister urged the people not to panic and to be alert, saying, “We are dealing with the situation.” In response to a question about when the vaccination program will be launched, the Minister said, “The vaccine will arrive as soon as possible. We will arrange for vaccination as soon as it arrives.” I want to assure the people that all our efforts will continue.

Health Secretary Md. Kamruzzaman Chowdhury said, “We hope to start receiving vaccines from the first week of April. As soon as the vaccine arrives, the nationwide vaccination program will be strengthened.”

Medical experts say that measles is not just a common cold; it is a highly contagious airborne virus. It spreads faster than influenza and Covid-19, and even the Ebola virus. A study by Harvard Medical School has shown that the measles virus can destroy about 75 percent of the body’s antibodies. As a result, children can later be seriously affected by common diseases like pneumonia or flu. After the lung infection due to measles pneumonia becomes complicated, death can occur if the child does not receive the necessary oxygen supply support from a ventilator and intensive care unit (NICU).

Other complications of measles include inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), which can cause hearing loss or intellectual disability, and inflammation of the eyes. If infected during pregnancy, there is a risk of miscarriage or low birth weight.

When asked, the Director of the Institute of Public Health and Nutrition (IPH), Dr. Md. Mominur Rahman said that the outbreak of measles is increasing for various reasons. However, it cannot be said that everyone is dying because of this. The infection is increasing because measles vaccination is not done properly. In addition to regular vaccination, a campaign is held every five years. The last campaign was in 2020. Although it was supposed to be in 2024, it did not happen. Apart from this, there has been a shortage of vaccines for two to three years. In addition, vaccines have not been purchased properly. He said that there have been crises at the field level. Many children received the first dose of vaccine but did not receive the second dose due to drop-outs in the post-Covid period. In response to a question, he said that in the last three months, 1,641 measles samples were tested in their lab. Of these, 696 were identified as having measles, which is 42.41%.

In response to another question, he said, “Usually, measles vaccination starts when a child is nine months old. But this time, for the first time, it has been seen that many children are getting infected with this virus before the age of nine months. This is because many mothers, especially working mothers, cannot breastfeed regularly after giving birth. The child is fed with complementary or alternative foods and artificial milk. Many mothers themselves have not taken the necessary vaccinations. As a result, the amount of immunity that is supposed to be obtained from the mother’s body and breast milk is not developed in the child’s body.”

EPI program officials said that 45 percent of field workers in 37 districts are not available for vaccination. These workers administer the vaccine at specific centers. There are about 150,000 vaccination centers across the country. There are 1,326 porters (vaccine carriers). These porters have not received their salaries for 9 months. In addition, last year, health workers across the country went on strike three times. During that time, vaccination activities were suspended. In some areas, there is no vaccination. 10 to 20 percent of children are not covered by the vaccination program due to the negligence of parents.

Speaking to officials from the Department of Health, it was learned that earlier vaccines were purchased through the government’s Health, Population and Nutrition Sector Programme (HPNSP) Operation Plan (OP). With the help of Gavi, an international initiative for the procurement and distribution of vaccines, it was possible to purchase vaccines in a short time. During the interim government, the Ministry of Health canceled the HPNSP and OP system in August 2025 without preparation.

A meeting of the National Vaccination Technical Advisory Committee (NITAG) was held at the Ministry of Health on Monday regarding the outbreak of measles and what to do. Professor Dr. Halimur Rashid, an officer of the Infectious Disease Control Branch of the Directorate General of Health Services, was present at the meeting. When asked, he said that the issue of deficiency in routine vaccination was highlighted in today’s discussion. The reason for this was said to be the closure of the operation plan. It was decided in the meeting that vaccination will be given through a campaign along with routine vaccination. Necessary initiatives are being taken to start the campaign by June. For this, registration of children will start. In addition, the age of vaccination in the campaign has been brought forward from 9 months to 6 months. The age has been increased to 10 years.

Another meeting was held at the ministry on the same day regarding measles. The meeting was attended by the directors of the hospital and clinic branch of the Directorate General of Health Services, the directors of CDC, IEDCR, ICDRB and doctors from the virology department of BMU. When asked, the Director of the Directorate General of Health Services (Hospitals and Clinics) Dr. Abu Hossain Mohammad Mainul Ahsan said on Monday afternoon that panic is spreading among the people regarding deaths due to measles. The issue of the meeting was discussed. However, the matter of such deaths is not true. He said that the campaign will be started as soon as possible and the medical system will be strengthened.

Md. Ramzan Ali

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