Bangladesh launches mass response
Bangladeshi authorities reported more than 15,600 suspected measles cases after disruption to a vaccination drive and have started an emergency campaign aimed at 20 million children. Separate local reporting said a suspected measles outbreak had killed about 98 children, according to health updates. (arabnews.pk) (nst.com.my)
Bangladesh has started an emergency measles-rubella vaccination drive after a fast rise in measles infections and deaths among children. (unicef.org) The campaign began on April 5 in 30 upazilas across 18 high-risk districts and targets children aged 6 months to 5 years. It expands to four city corporations from April 12 and is due to go nationwide from May 3. (who.int) United Nations agencies said the first phase aims to protect more than 1.2 million children, with wider national scaling planned after that. UNICEF said the response also includes vitamin A, medical supplies and community outreach. (reliefweb.int) Measles is a virus that spreads through coughs and sneezes and can move quickly through communities with low vaccine coverage. UNICEF reported 9,883 suspected cases, 1,398 laboratory-confirmed cases and at least 128 suspected deaths in Bangladesh as of April 7, with children under five making up 81 percent of cases. (unicef.org) Bangladeshi media, citing Directorate General of Health Services updates, reported the toll was still rising after that. The Daily Star said the country had recorded 98 suspected measles deaths when the vaccination campaign began, while bdnews24.com later reported 167 suspected deaths by April 10. (thedailystar.net) (bdnews24.com) Health officials and aid agencies tied the outbreak to immunity gaps after routine immunization was disrupted in some areas. UNICEF said infants under 9 months accounted for 34 percent of cases and are especially vulnerable because they are still too young for routine measles vaccination. (unicef.org) Hospitals in Dhaka were already under strain before the national rollout. United News of Bangladesh reported that more than 500 children with measles symptoms had been admitted in March to the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Mohakhali, where more than 100 children were being treated at one point. (unb.com.bd) The government, the World Health Organization, UNICEF and Gavi are now trying to close those gaps before the virus spreads further. The next test is whether the campaign can reach children quickly enough as the program moves from high-burden districts to the rest of the country in May. (who.int)
