Daijiworld Media Network – Dhaka
Dhaka, Jun 15: Bangladesh's measles outbreak has claimed four more lives in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of confirmed and suspected measles-related deaths in the country to 652, according to official health data.
The latest fatalities were classified as suspected measles deaths by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
With the new deaths, the number of suspected measles fatalities has risen to 560, while laboratory-confirmed measles deaths remain unchanged at 92, local media reports said.
Health authorities also reported 1,052 new suspected measles cases during the 24-hour period ending at 8 a.m. on Sunday, raising the total number of suspected infections to 85,951.
In addition, 75 new laboratory-confirmed measles cases were recorded, taking the total number of confirmed infections to 10,323.
According to DGHS data, 70,579 patients with suspected measles have been admitted to hospitals across Bangladesh since March 15. Of them, 66,841 have recovered and been discharged.
The outbreak continues to spread despite government claims that vaccination coverage has exceeded 100 per cent of the targeted child population, prompting concerns among public health experts over vaccine effectiveness and possible gaps in immunisation coverage.
More than a month after the conclusion of a nationwide emergency measles vaccination campaign, hospitals across the country are still admitting over 1,000 children daily with measles or measles-like symptoms.
The continued rise in infections and fatalities has alarmed health experts, who say high vaccination coverage figures do not automatically guarantee community protection unless children develop adequate immunity.
Former disease control director Be-Nazir Ahmed questioned the effectiveness of the campaign in curbing transmission.
“Measles transmission should decline significantly once vaccine coverage exceeds 90 per cent. If vaccination has truly reached the reported level, infections should have fallen much more sharply by now,” he said.
Ahmed also suggested that official vaccination targets may not accurately reflect the actual number of eligible children.
“In some cases, coverage may appear to be 100 per cent on paper while thousands of children remain unvaccinated in reality,” he noted.
Public health authorities continue to monitor the situation as concerns grow over the persistence of one of the country's most severe measles outbreaks in recent years.