Dhaka, June 13: The measles outbreak in Bangladesh has claimed the life of another child, raising the total number of confirmed and suspected deaths to 643 since March 15. This tragic news was reported on Friday, with the latest death identified as a suspected case.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the report of the death came within 24 hours leading up to Friday morning. Bangladeshi media outlet UNB noted that the number of confirmed deaths has remained stable at 92, while the suspected deaths have surged to 551, indicating that these fatalities have not yet been officially verified.
In the past 24 hours, the DGHS recorded a total of 1,027 suspected measles cases, bringing the cumulative number of suspected cases to 84,266. Additionally, 126 new confirmed cases were reported, increasing the total number of cases to 10,185.
Despite government claims that vaccination coverage among targeted children has exceeded 100%, the serious outbreak of measles continues to spread across the country. This has raised concerns among vaccination experts regarding the effectiveness and coverage of the vaccine.
Over a month has passed since the nationwide emergency measles vaccination campaign concluded, yet hospitals are admitting over 1,000 children daily with measles or measles-like symptoms. The death toll from the disease is also on the rise.
The continuous increase in cases has alarmed public health experts, who argue that merely increasing vaccination coverage is insufficient unless children develop adequate immunity against the infection.
Be-Nazir Ahmed, former director of the government’s disease control branch, stated, “When vaccination coverage exceeds 90%, the spread of measles should significantly decrease. If vaccination truly reached the reported levels, we should have seen a more rapid decline in infections by now.”
Ahmed also pointed out that the government’s figures may not accurately reflect the actual number of children eligible for vaccination. He remarked, “In some cases, coverage may appear to be 100% on paper, while in reality, thousands of children remain unvaccinated.”
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