Bangladesh measles outbreak kills over 1,000 children despite vaccination drive

September 17, 2026 at 08:55 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

More than 1,000 children have died in Bangladesh's measles outbreak, with about 1,000 new suspected cases reported daily. The government will launch an intensified vaccination phase on 26 September to reach unvaccinated children. The outbreak has made Bangladesh the country with the most measles cases worldwide this year.

Key Facts

More than 1,000 children have died in the measles outbreak in Bangladesh.
More than 19.8 million children have been vaccinated, but about 1,000 new suspected cases are reported daily.
The government will move into an intensified vaccination phase on 26 September.
Bangladesh has reported more than 194,000 measles cases since March, the highest of any country this year.
Eight more people died with suspected measles on Tuesday alone.

Outbreak Scale

Bangladesh is facing its worst measles outbreak in decades, with cases surging since March. The latest government figures show more than 194,000 cases since March from the highly contagious disease. WHO data shows Bangladesh has had more measles cases than any other country so far this year. On Tuesday alone, eight more people died with suspected measles.

Vaccination Campaign

More than 19.8 million children have already been vaccinated in the emergency campaign. Unicef told the BBC that on 26 September, the government will move into an intensified phase to reach children who have not yet been vaccinated. The WHO insists the campaign was a success but acknowledges some target children were not reached by vaccination activities. Public health expert Dr Mushtuq Husain said the initial campaign was inadequate and should have reached more regions and age-groups.

Root Causes

Unicef called the initial outbreak a perfect storm of factors, including an overcrowded population and the Covid pandemic delaying routine immunisation. Unicef claims the interim government that succeeded Sheikh Hasina delayed vaccine orders to consider new vendors, despite warnings of risks. Yunus's former top health ministry official denied any shortage of vaccines. The WHO said the outbreak spread nationwide before vaccination activities were implemented, creating extensive transmission chains.