Nationwide Measles-Rubella vaccination drive begins today

A nationwide emergency measles-rubella (MR) vaccination campaign is set to begin today to contain the ongoing measles outbreak in the country.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the government aims to administer the MR vaccine to around 1.8 crore children aged between six months and under five years during the special drive.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain will formally inaugurate the campaign at Little Angel Seminary at Zinda Park in Rupganj upazila of Narayanganj at 8:15am.

Amid the outbreak, the health ministry launched a special vaccination campaign on 5 April, initially covering 30 upazilas in 18 districts, prioritising high-infection areas. The programme was later expanded to four city corporations, Dhaka South, Dhaka North, Mymensingh and Barishal, on 12 April.

The ministry now plans to roll out the campaign nationwide from today with support from UNICEF, Gavi and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Under the programme, all children aged between six and 59 months will receive the MR vaccine. DGHS officials said the campaign will continue for four weeks, excluding Fridays and public holidays, with vaccinations carried out from 8am to 3pm.

Vaccination will be administered at nursery schools, kindergartens, ibtedayi institutions, maktabs, orphanages and childcare centres. Children not enrolled in educational institutions will be vaccinated at nearby routine immunisation centres.

Permanent vaccination centres will be set up at upazila health complexes, municipalities and city corporation hospitals, as well as in each city ward. Routine immunisation services will continue alongside the campaign. Additional outreach centres will be arranged for high-risk and hard-to-reach groups, including street children, slum dwellers, nomadic communities, children accompanying mothers at markets, factories and rice mills, as well as those staying with mothers in hospitals and prisons.

The nationwide drive will continue until 20 May in city corporation areas and until 12 May in other parts of the country.
Announcing the campaign at a press briefing on Friday, the health minister said there was no shortage of vaccines in the country.

“Measles infections have declined somewhat. Once the nationwide vaccination campaign begins, the situation will improve further,” he said.

Meanwhile, four children died from measles and measles-like symptoms between 8am Saturday and 8am Sunday, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

During the same 24-hour period, 1,197 patients with measles-like symptoms were admitted to hospitals nationwide. Of these, 165 cases were confirmed as measles through laboratory testing.