Measles has killed 1,147 people in Bangladesh, with children under five accounting for 94% of the deaths. The country is facing the world's largest outbreak of the disease this year. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between mid-March and October 9, the country recorded 202,000 suspected measles cases. Of these, 22,000 were laboratory-confirmed.
According to Reuters, vaccination disruptions began after political upheaval in the country: health workers went on strike and vaccine procurement was delayed. In 2025, first-dose coverage fell to 90%, and second-dose coverage to 86%. A rate of at least 95% is required to prevent outbreaks.
WHO vaccine adviser and New York University professor Mark Jit called the situation "a serious warning for every country."
In April and May, nearly 20 million children received emergency vaccinations. However, the campaign did not reach everyone: subsequent data showed that millions of children may not have been included in the lists. Some parents in remote villages told Reuters that health workers came to them only after their child had died of measles.
In late September, authorities launched a new campaign for 3.4 million children who had missed vaccination. Hospitals continue to operate under overload: on the day journalists visited one hospital in Sylhet, 178 patients were in 100 beds.
In September, Kursiv already reported on 999 measles-related deaths in Bangladesh. Hospitals were already overcrowded then: in one hospital in Dhaka, some patients were placed on the floor.
Outbreaks are also occurring in the United States. In early October, New York state authorities declared a state of emergency due to measles. At that time, 108 cases were recorded in the state, most of them in rural areas with low vaccination coverage.
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