Daijiworld Media Network - Dhaka

Dhaka, Jun 15: Bangladesh's worsening measles outbreak has claimed four more children's lives in the past 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 656, according to official health data released on Monday.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) reported that one of the latest deaths has been laboratory-confirmed as measles, while the remaining three have been classified as suspected cases.

With the latest update, the number of suspected measles-related deaths has climbed to 563, while laboratory-confirmed fatalities have reached 93, local media reports said.

Health authorities also recorded 972 new suspected cases during the same period, pushing the total number of suspected infections nationwide to 86,923.

Additionally, 64 new laboratory-confirmed cases were reported, taking the total number of confirmed infections to 10,387.

According to DGHS data, since March 15, as many as 71,467 patients with suspected measles have been admitted to hospitals across Bangladesh, of whom 67,878 have recovered.

Despite government claims that vaccination coverage has surpassed 100 per cent of the targeted population, the outbreak continues to spread rapidly, raising serious concerns among public health experts over possible gaps in immunisation coverage and vaccine effectiveness.

More than a month after the completion of a nationwide emergency vaccination campaign, hospitals across the country are still admitting over 1,000 children every day with measles or measles-like symptoms.

Former Director of the government's disease control branch, Be-Nazir Ahmed, questioned the effectiveness of the reported vaccination figures.

"Measles transmission should decline significantly once vaccination coverage exceeds 90 per cent. If the reported coverage is accurate, infection rates should have dropped much more sharply by now," he said.

Ahmed also suggested that official estimates may not accurately reflect the actual number of children eligible for vaccination.

"In some cases, coverage may appear to be 100 per cent on paper while, in reality, thousands of children could still remain unvaccinated," he added.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) revealed last month that it had repeatedly warned Bangladesh's previous interim administration, led by Muhammad Yunus, about potential vaccine shortages that could trigger a major public health emergency.

Addressing a press briefing in Dhaka, UNICEF representative to Bangladesh, Rana Flowers, said the organisation had raised the issue several times through official correspondence and meetings with health authorities.

"Beginning in 2024, we repeatedly warned the government that vaccine shortages could lead to an outbreak. Between 2024 and 2026, we sent multiple letters and held 10 separate meetings highlighting the urgency of placing vaccine orders, but necessary action was not taken," Flowers said.

She also disclosed that UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban had raised concerns about vaccine shortages during discussions with Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry during a visit to the country in August last year.

The continuing surge in cases has intensified pressure on Bangladesh's healthcare system and prompted renewed calls for stronger immunisation strategies, improved vaccine supply management and more accurate tracking of vulnerable children to contain the outbreak.