Measles Outbreak Kills More Than 1,100 in Bangladesh, Mostly Children

Bangladesh is struggling to contain a major measles outbreak that has killed at least 1,147 people and produced more than 202,000 suspected cases, exposing weaknesses in childhood vaccination coverage and the delivery of healthcare to vulnerable communities. Data reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) through October 9 showed that 22,000 cases had been laboratory-confirmed, while 94 per cent of reported deaths were among children younger than five.

The scale of the outbreak has raised questions about how Bangladesh’s long-running immunization programme lost ground and why emergency vaccination efforts have struggled to reach every child. Bangladesh had made substantial progress against measles in previous years, but vaccination coverage fell in 2025 after political upheaval disrupted health services, health-worker strikes affected delivery and vaccine orders were delayed.

WHO and UNICEF estimates published in 2026 put coverage for the first dose of measles-containing vaccine at 90 per cent in 2025, down from 96 per cent in 2024. Coverage for the second dose fell to 86 per cent from 93 per cent. The agencies say at least 95 per cent coverage with two doses is needed to prevent sustained transmission and protect communities against outbreaks.

The emergency response initially appeared to slow the spread of the disease. Bangladesh launched a phased measles-rubella vaccination campaign in April, later expanding it nationwide, and officials reported that nearly 20 million children had been vaccinated in the first phase. However, a subsequent comparison of target lists found around four million more children in another health programme covering the same age group, suggesting the measles campaign’s figures had failed to account for many children. In late September, the government launched a further drive aimed at reaching 3.4 million children who had previously been missed.

The problems extend beyond vaccine availability. Reuters, citing interviews with families and health workers and documents reviewed during its investigation, reported that some remote communities had not received timely visits from vaccination teams. In the northeastern Sylhet region, families described losing young children who had not been vaccinated before falling ill. The investigation also identified weaknesses in emergency preparedness, including limited readiness checks before the April campaign began and difficulties establishing accurate lists of eligible children.

Bangladesh’s health authorities and international partners have continued to expand the response, including vaccination, surveillance, laboratory testing and hospital preparedness. WHO and UNICEF have also highlighted the importance of reaching children who are unregistered, mobile or living in hard-to-access areas. The country’s government requested an independent review of its Expanded Programme on Immunization and disease-surveillance system, with WHO-supported teams assessing programme management, staffing, vaccine supply, data quality, service delivery and outbreak preparedness across all eight administrative divisions.

The outbreak is also putting pressure on hospitals, particularly in areas where large numbers of children require treatment and isolation. Measles is highly contagious, and young children face a greater risk of severe complications, especially when they are malnourished or cannot access medical care promptly. The concentration of cases among unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children shows how gaps in routine services can allow infections to spread even after a large emergency campaign.

Bangladesh’s experience is now a test of whether emergency vaccination can be followed by a more reliable routine system. The country’s immunization programme previously delivered major public-health gains, including sustained protection against several vaccine-preventable diseases, but the measles crisis has exposed weaknesses in coverage estimates, staffing, planning and the ability to reach every child. Preventing further outbreaks will depend on closing those gaps, maintaining vaccine supplies and ensuring that children missed by routine services are identified before another public-health emergency develops.