Bangladesh’s prolonged measles outbreak claimed five more children on Tuesday, pushing the combined death toll from confirmed measles and measles-like illness to at least 1,104 since mid-March.
The latest deaths, reported on Sept. 29, came a day after the Directorate General of Health Services said the toll had reached 1,099 — 101 deaths among laboratory-confirmed measles patients and 998 among children with symptoms consistent with the disease.
The five additional deaths mean the combined toll has risen by more than 200 since Aug. 15, when DGHS data showed 902 deaths — 99 confirmed and 803 among suspected cases.
The outbreak, which has persisted for more than six months, has also renewed scrutiny of gaps in Bangladesh’s childhood immunization program, including disruptions in routine vaccination, vaccine supply problems and a missed mass vaccination campaign during the period of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim administration.
As of Sept. 28, Bangladesh had recorded 189,255 suspected measles cases and 21,308 laboratory-confirmed infections since March 15, according to DGHS figures. The combined number of confirmed and suspected cases had therefore exceeded 210,000.
During the same period, 167,469 patients with suspected measles had been admitted to hospitals, while 160,705 had been discharged after treatment.
Vaccination Gaps Under Scrutiny
Bangladesh missed a scheduled nationwide measles vaccination campaign during the interim-government period between August 2024 and February 2026. Reports also documented vaccine shortages and procurement delays, while health specialists warned that declining immunization coverage was creating conditions for a major outbreak.
Reuters reported in September that health experts linked the outbreak to interruptions in routine immunization during 2024 and 2025, vaccine supply problems and canceled vaccination campaigns. The disruptions left significant numbers of children without adequate protection, including infants too young to have received vaccination under the previous routine schedule.
The outbreak had spread widely by April, when measles outbreaks were detected in 58 of Bangladesh’s 64 districts, according to World Health Organization.
Young children have borne much of the burden.
Dr. Jahangir Alam, a WHO divisional coordinator in Dhaka, warned in April that even relatively small gaps in vaccination coverage could allow measles to spread because of the disease’s high transmissibility.
Dhaka Division has recorded the largest number of cases and deaths. By Sept. 28, the division had recorded 80,144 suspected cases and 13,203 confirmed cases since March 15. It had also recorded 448 deaths among suspected cases and 64 among laboratory-confirmed patients.
Infant’s Death Reaches High Court
Questions surrounding the outbreak and vaccine management have also reached the High Court.
On Sept. 1, the High Court issued a rule in a case involving seven-month-old Safwan Islam Jahin, who died on May 26 after contracting measles.
The court asked why his family should not receive Tk10 million in compensation and sought responses to allegations of negligence involving vaccine procurement, stock management and supply during the former interim government.
Former Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and five government officials were among those directed to respond within four weeks.
The court’s rule raises questions for adjudication and does not constitute a finding that Yunus or any other respondent was legally responsible for the child’s death.
By May 23, three days before Safwan died, Bangladesh had already recorded 62,507 suspected measles cases and 8,494 laboratory-confirmed infections, according to DGHS data cited in reporting on the court proceedings. At that point, 86 deaths had been recorded among confirmed measles patients and another 426 among suspected cases.
Vaccination Campaign Expanded
Bangladesh began an emergency measles-rubella vaccination campaign in April with support from WHO, UNICEF and Gavi. The initial phase focused on children aged six months to five years in 18 high-risk districts, with vaccination intended to expand in phases.
With five more deaths reported Tuesday, the combined death toll in the confirmed and suspected categories tracked by health authorities has now exceeded 1,100, while the continuing outbreak and the High Court proceedings keep attention on both the immediate vaccination response and questions surrounding earlier vaccine procurement and supply.
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