Bangladesh has launched an emergency measles-rubella vaccination campaign after more than 100 children died in the country’s worst measles outbreak in years.
The government, working with the United Nations and UNICEF, began the drive after more than 900 measles cases were confirmed since March.
The first phase will target children aged six months to five years in high-risk districts before expanding nationwide.
Health officials said one-third of infections are in babies younger than nine months, below the normal age for routine measles vaccination. Experts said this points to major gaps in immunisation coverage.
Rana Flowers said the rise in cases showed "critical immunity gaps", particularly among children who had not received any vaccines or had received too few doses.
The government said political turmoil over the past two years disrupted vaccine supplies and routine immunisation campaigns. Health minister Sardar Mohammed Sakhawat Husain told parliament that unrest following the 2024 overthrow of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina affected vaccine procurement.
Bangladesh’s routine immunisation programme has increased the share of fully vaccinated children from 2% in 1979 to 81.6%, but officials said coverage remains uneven across the country.
According to UNICEF, at least 95% of the population must be vaccinated to stop measles from spreading.