Four children in Bangladesh have passed away in the last 24 hours due to symptoms resembling measles, bringing the total confirmed and suspected measles-related deaths to 652. The recent fatalities were categorized as suspected measles deaths by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The number of suspected measles deaths has now risen to 560, with the count of laboratory-confirmed measles deaths remaining at 92, as reported by United News of Bangladesh (UNB). Bangladesh recorded 1,052 new suspected measles cases within the same period, pushing the total number of suspected cases in the country to 85,951.
Additionally, 75 new confirmed measles cases were reported, increasing the total of laboratory-confirmed infections to 10,323 in Bangladesh. Since March 15, hospitals in Bangladesh have admitted 70,579 patients with suspected measles, with 66,841 patients having recovered, according to DGHS data.
Despite the government’s assertion that vaccination coverage has surpassed 100% of the targeted children, Bangladesh is grappling with a severe measles outbreak. The ongoing rise in cases has raised concerns among immunization experts regarding vaccine effectiveness and coverage gaps, as reported by Bangladesh’s daily Dhaka Tribune.
Public health experts are alarmed by the continuous surge in measles cases, emphasizing that high vaccination coverage does not guarantee protection unless children develop adequate immunity. Be-Nazir Ahmed, former Director of the government’s disease control branch, highlighted that measles transmission should significantly decrease when vaccine coverage exceeds 90%.
According to Be-Nazir Ahmed, official vaccination targets may not accurately represent the actual number of eligible children, suggesting that despite reported full coverage, many children may remain unvaccinated in reality.
