Measles-rubella vaccine drive to reach over 1.2 million children in first phase, says UNICEF

More than 1.2 million children aged between 6 months and 5 years will receive measles-rubella vaccines in 30 Upazilas in the first phase of a vaccine drive, UNICEF has said.

The government began administering the vaccines on Sunday in these Upazilas across 18 high-risk districts.

The emergency campaign is being carried out with support from UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

In a media statement, UNICEF said the initiative will be expanded in phases to other city corporations and the remaining districts.

Earlier, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain Bakul inaugurated the first phase of the campaign at Nawabganj Upazila Health Complex in Dhaka.

He thanked UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh Rana Flowers for providing technical support and ensuring quick vaccine supply.

He also expressed gratitude to Gavi and the WHO on behalf of the ministry.

Rana Flowers said UNICEF is deeply concerned, as rising measles infections across Bangladesh are putting thousands of children, especially younger and vulnerable ones, at serious risk.

She said this resurgence highlights gaps in immunity, particularly among children who have not received any vaccine or only partial doses, adding that children under 9 months, who are not yet eligible for routine vaccination, are getting infected.

Expressing sympathy for families who lost loved ones, Flowers said UNICEF is supporting the government’s emergency response and believes coordinated efforts can help control the spread of the disease.