Emergency measles shot drive from Sunday

The government will launch an emergency measles vaccination campaign from Sunday in response to a sharp rise in deadly cases across several districts.

It will begin in selected upazilas with high caseloads and eventually cover all children aged six months to 10 years, Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said yesterday.

Speaking at a press conference following a meeting at the Secretariat yesterday, he added that leave for all health workers involved has been cancelled.

At least 47 children have died from suspected measles and related complications so far this year, including two in the latest 24-hour count.

The toll could be higher as the government lacks a comprehensive death register.

One of the latest fatalities occurred at the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Mohakhali, raising measles-related deaths at the facility to 26, said superintendent Tanzina Jahan. The hospital was treating 84 suspected patients yesterday, 30 of them admitted in the last daily count.

Another child, seven-month-old Hira Moni from Moheshkhali, died at Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital, where 38 others were receiving treatment. Doctors said she was also suffering from pneumonia and oral complications.

Rajshahi Medical College Hospital reported the other latest death, bringing its suspected deaths from measles to four, according to spokesperson Dr Shankar K Biswas.

However, Prothom Alo reported 12 deaths at RMCH until Sunday, though the hospital acknowledged only one at that time.

EMERGENCY DRIVE

Children normally receive measles vaccines twice -- at nine months and 15 months -- under the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI).

Special campaigns are usually held every four years, but after the last one in 2020, the planned 2024 drive was cancelled due to the July uprising, the health minister said.

He said routine vaccination was also disrupted at least three times last year due to strikes by health assistants who administer the doses in rural areas. A funding crisis, triggered by suspension of the sector programme by the interim government, further hampered services.

EPI had planned a special campaign in mid-April, but Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, said syringes would only be available between May and July.

The government has now decided to proceed immediately due to the surge in cases, the minister said.

Unicef has already identified the most affected upazilas, where the campaign will start, he said.

Shahriar Sajjad, director of EPI, said they were finalising the list and it was expected by last night. Replying to a question, he said syringes had been managed “somehow”, allowing the drive to go ahead.

Earlier, he told this correspondent that while the central stock of measles vaccine for routine immunisation had run out, supplies remained at field level.

He confirmed receipt of 2 crore doses from Gavi for the emergency campaign.