Nationwide measles vaccination to begin on Sunday

The government will launch a nationwide measles vaccination campaign from Sunday to contain the ongoing outbreak across the country.
Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain announced the decision at a press conference at the Secretariat on Wednesday after a meeting with UNICEF representatives.
“We will start emergency vaccination from Sunday. All leave for field-level staff has been cancelled to ensure full deployment,” he said.
All preparations for vaccine collection and distribution have been completed. Vaccines and syringes will be delivered across the country by Thursday and Friday. The procurement process through UNICEF is in its final stage, he said.
Children aged between 6 months and 10 years will be covered under the campaign. Routine immunisation under the Expanded Programme on Immunisation will continue alongside the special drive.
The minister said a previous measles campaign in 2020–21 could not achieve full coverage. He added that Tk601 crore has been allocated to procure vaccines and replenish supplies supported by Gavi.
He said the current age range was set based on recommendations from a national expert committee. Earlier, the vaccine was mainly administered to children aged 9 to 15 months.
Sakhawat Hossain said vaccination would be prioritised in high-risk areas. He acknowledged initial child deaths but said measures were being taken to bring the situation under control.
Healthcare capacity was being strengthened with additional ventilators, ICU beds and recruitment of medical staff. New ICU facilities have also been set up in several districts, including Manikganj, he added.
Health Services Division Secretary Md Kamruzzaman Chowdhury said 15 children died so far this year in connection with the outbreak. Laboratory analysis confirmed measles in a significant number of cases. Rajshahi remained the worst-affected area.
The Directorate General of Health Services said children who missed vaccination or did not receive a second dose were most at risk. Malnourished children were particularly vulnerable.
At the briefing, public health expert Dr SM Ziauddin Hyder urged people not to panic and said that not all fevers indicate measles. He called for responsible reporting and coordinated action among the government, media and development partners.
The health ministry and icddr,b also agreed to expand the use of bubble CPAP technology nationwide to reduce child deaths from measles-related complications, including pneumonia.