35 lakh more children to get measles vaccine

The government plans to vaccinate another 35 lakh children against measles, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare MA Muhith said yesterday.

Around two crore children have already been covered under the immunisation drive, he said while addressing a measles-rubella vaccination drive in Dhaka’s Korail area.

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UNICEF organised the campaign with support from the US Embassy in Dhaka, GAVI, and the Dhaka North City Corporation.

The state minister said the government was working to contain the measles outbreak and expected measles-related deaths to decline soon.

“Unlike previous years, we began preparations four months in advance based on data and projections, including warnings of a possible October peak,” he said.

“To strengthen prevention efforts, we have trained 2,000 doctors, and issued treatment guidelines,” he added.

Charge d’Affaires at the US Embassy in Dhaka, Eric Geelan, said, “We are supporting Bangladesh’s efforts to protect at-risk children with life-saving vaccines and strengthen the country’s capacity to prevent and respond to future disease outbreaks.”

Miguel Mateos Munoz, chief of communication and advocacy at UNICEF, said around 3.4 million children in Bangladesh still need to be vaccinated to close the immunity gap and prevent further illness and deaths from measles.

“Our priority now is to reach every vulnerable child, strengthen routine immunisation through the programme, and continue supporting the government’s efforts to end the outbreak,” he added.

“All children who were left out of previous MR vaccination drives will be covered under the ongoing campaign through targeted outreach, including ambulance services,” said DNCC Administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan.

He expressed hope that the campaign will be completed successfully with support from all stakeholders.