Measles Outbreak in Bangladesh Claims Six More Lives, Total Deaths Reach 1,233
A measles outbreak in Bangladesh has led to six additional child fatalities, raising the total death toll to 1,233 amid ongoing health concerns.
Dhaka, October 27 (Daily Kiran) : The measles outbreak in Bangladesh continues to escalate, with six more children reported dead on Monday. This brings the total number of fatalities from the disease this year to 1,233, according to local media sources.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) confirmed that these deaths occurred within the previous 24 hours up to Monday morning. The Bangladesh News Agency (UNB) noted that the latest six fatalities have been categorized as suspected cases of measles.
Currently, the confirmed death toll stands at 104, while the number of suspected deaths has surged to 1,129. In the same period, the DGHS reported 1,388 new suspected measles cases, pushing the total number of suspected cases to 222,552. Additionally, there have been 78 new confirmed cases, bringing the total confirmed cases to 23,478.
Earlier this month, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stated in an interview with The Sunday Guardian that the ongoing measles “epidemic” is a result of government negligence and the deterioration of the vaccination system over decades. She accused the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus of making political and administrative decisions that disrupted the vaccine procurement process, leading to significant gaps in vaccination coverage.
Hasina claimed that the stock of the measles-rubella vaccine ran out in March 2026, resulting in a sharp decline in vaccination rates. She also criticized the current BNP government, led by Prime Minister Tariq Rahman, for failing to take adequate measures even as the severity of the outbreak became apparent.
“Over a thousand children have died from a preventable disease, which is not merely a failure of administration,” Hasina remarked. She called for ensuring continuous vaccine availability, conducting targeted vaccination campaigns for vulnerable communities, real-time disease monitoring, strengthening child health infrastructure, and independent investigations into irregularities in vaccine procurement and vaccination.
According to The Daily Star, Bangladesh resumed vaccine procurement through UNICEF in April and initiated emergency vaccination campaigns. However, health experts believe that controlling the outbreak will take time given the rapid spread of the infection.
Earlier this month, Dr. Benjir Ahmed, former director of disease control at DGHS, warned that the infection is spreading rapidly, indicating that it could take time to bring the outbreak under control. Public health experts have attributed the resurgence of the disease to previous vaccination gaps and some deficiencies in hospitals, including delays in identifying infected children and isolating them in a timely manner.
Public health expert Mushtuq Hussain noted that it typically takes three to four weeks for adequate immunity to develop in children after vaccination. He cautioned that the current wave of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths may persist for at least another month.
