2026 Bangladesh measles outbreak
Disease outbreak in Bangladesh
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In mid-March 2026, a measles outbreak started in Bangladesh.[1] According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), as of 09 June 2026, 539 have died with suspected measles symptoms, alongside 92 confirmed measles deaths, and 81,084 have been recorded with suspected measles symptoms, alongside 9,833 confirmed cases.[2][3] This led the government to start an emergency mass vaccination of children aged between 6 and 59 months.[4][5]
| 2026 measles outbreak in Bangladesh | |
|---|---|
Prime Minister of Bangladesh Tarique Rahman observing emergency measles-rubella vaccination drive in Bogura's Gabtali in April 2026. | |
_map.svg)   Municipalities and sub-districts designated as outbreak hotspots (As assessed by the MoHFW till 4 April 2026)Districts with active hotspots Districts with confirmed or suspected cases Districts with no reported cases | |
 Cases per 100,000 inhabitants by divisions (15 March — 12 May 2026) | |
| Disease | Measles |
| Pathogen | Measles morbillivirus (MV) |
| Location | Bangladesh |
| Date | Late February 2026 – present |
| Confirmed cases | 9,833 |
| Suspected cases | 81,084 |
| Hospitalized cases | 66,170 |
| Recovered | 62,292 |
Deaths | 631 (539 suspected cases) |
| Fatality rate | 1.00% (confirmed cases) 0.70% (suspected cases) 0.83% (all cases) |
Background
Bangladesh has achieved significant progress in measles control by conducting mass immunization campaigns. Between 2014 and 2015, nationwide measles–rubella (MR) campaigns vaccinated over 50 million children. By the mid-2010s, more than 92% of children received the initial vaccine dose, and second-dose coverage surpassed 80%. The mortality rate of children aged under five due to measles declined rapidly over three decades.[6]
However, over the years, the programme became weak, irregular, and delayed. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the government's focus shifting towards COVID-19 vaccination, hampering the MR campaigns.[6] In April 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that many countries had started suspending their measles vaccination programmes due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was projected that 117 million children would be at risk of infection.[7]
Though the service was resumed partially in the following years, the interim government of Muhammad Yunus largely neglected the programme due to the overall decline of measles in the country, and halted funds for the vaccination. Political instability and administrative disruption during the period also contributed to the weakening of the programme.[6][8][9]
Epidemiology
According to the Minister of Health and Family Welfare Sardar Shakhawat Hossain Bokul, 82% of the measles and rubella infected were children aged-below-five.[10]
Measles patient statistics by division
| Division | Suspicious Cases | Confirmed Cases | Number of Admissions | Recovered | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Number of Cases | Total Number of Deaths | Total Number of Cases | Total Number of Deaths | Total Number of Patient Hospitalized | Total Number of Patients Discharged from Hospital | |
| Dhaka | 37,798 | 223 | 6,822 | 56 | 27,416 | 25,663 |
| Chittagong | 13,459 | 47 | 763 | 10 | 12,616 | 12,000 |
| Barisal | 7,615 | 37 | 301 | 19 | 6,926 | 6,508 |
| Rajshahi | 6,996 | 86 | 1,119 | 02 | 5,921 | 5,800 |
| Khulna | 5,944 | 23 | 270 | 00 | 5,510 | 5,170 |
| Sylhet | 4,143 | 65 | 258 | 03 | 3,693 | 3,329 |
| Mymensingh | 3,566 | 50 | 233 | 02 | 3,235 | 2,946 |
| Rangpur | 1,563 | 08 | 67 | 00 | 853 | 676 |
| Total | 81,084 | 539 | 9,833 | 92 | 66,170 | 62,292 |
Response
The Minister of Home Affairs Salahuddin Ahmed vowed to control the measles within 2026.[11] Leaves of medical staffs were also cancelled.[12]
Vaccination
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare identified 30 "hotspots" from 20 districts and took measures to start emergency vaccination in these areas.[13] The emergency mass vaccination campaign was launched on 5 April 2026. Initially covering the Dhaka North and South City Corporations, and Mymensingh and Barisal Districts, the Minister of Health, Sardar Shakhawat Hossain Bokul said that mass vaccination throughout the country will start from 3 May.[14]