Bangladesh measles outbreak claims two more lives, death toll crosses 1280
Dhaka, Nov 8 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Two more children died from measles-like symptoms in Bangladesh in the 24 hours till 8 a.m. on Sunday (local time), taking the total number of confirmed and suspected measles-linked fatalities to 1,282 in 2026.
The two latest deaths in Bangladesh have been classified as suspected measles fatalities, as per the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). With the latest fatalities, the total number of suspected measles fatalities in Bangladesh has risen to 1,177, while confirmed measles deaths remained unchanged at 105, United News of Bangladesh (UNB) reported.
During the 24-hour period, 1,138 new suspected measles cases were reported in Bangladesh, raising the total number of suspected measles cases in the country to 238,840.
During the same period, 87 new confirmed measles cases were recorded in Bangladesh, raising the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 24,442, UNB reported.
Since March 15, 212,979 patients with suspected measles have been admitted to hospitals in Bangladesh. Among them, 204,049 people have recovered from the disease, according to the DGHS.
In October, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that the measles “epidemic” was the result of “state negligence” and the collapse of the decades-old immunisation system.
Speaking to The Sunday Guardian in October, Hasina accused the former Muhammad Yunus-led interim administration of disrupting vaccine procurement through its political and administrative decisions, leading to a considerable immunisation gap.
She alleged that Bangladesh’s measles-rubella vaccine stocks were exhausted in March 2026, followed by a sharp decline in vaccination coverage. She also claimed that the authorities failed to launch a supplementary vaccination campaign at the scheduled time.
Hasina further criticised Prime Minister Tarique Rahman-led BNP government, alleging that the authorities failed to take adequate action after the severity of the outbreak became evident
“More than one thousand children dying from a preventable disease is not an ordinary administrative failure,” she added.
Sheikh Hasina called for uninterrupted vaccine supplies, targeted immunisation campaigns for vulnerable communities, real-time disease monitoring, expanded paediatric healthcare facilities and an independent probe into the alleged procurement and vaccination failures.
