Amid Outbreak, Bangladesh to Vax 1.2M Kids for Measles

Bangladesh is rushing to contain what may be its deadliest measles flare-up in decades, with more than 100 suspected deaths—mostly children—and over 7,500 possible cases since mid-March. Health officials say over 900 infections have been confirmed, a dramatic jump from the 125 cases logged in all of 2025, reports the BBC. The surge has exposed gaps in a once-strong immunization system: special nationwide vaccination drives that should occur every four years haven't taken place since 2020, first due to COVID, then political turmoil that ousted longtime leader Sheikh Hasina and ushered in an interim government. Vaccine procurement problems then delayed a planned April campaign.

Now, Dhaka is playing catch-up. In partnership with UNICEF and the World Health Organization, Bangladesh on Sunday launched an emergency measles-rubella drive across 30 sub-districts, targeting more than 1.2 million children aged six months to five years, with extra attention on the capital Dhaka and packed Rohingya camps. "Unicef is deeply concerned about the sharp ‌rise in measles cases across Bangladesh, putting thousands of children, especially the youngest and most vulnerable, at serious risk," Rana Flowers, the charity's Bangladesh rep, tells the South China Morning Post.

Officials are especially alarmed that about a third of recent infections are in babies younger than nine months—too young for routine shots. UNICEF warns that even brief disruptions can quietly erode population immunity, a dynamic fueling measles comebacks not only in Asia and Africa but also in Europe, the US, and the UK.