Bangladesh says it suspects measles has killed at least 98 children in the past three weeks, official data show, with the capital, Dhaka, ramping up vaccination efforts in the worst affected areas.

Last week, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman directed two senior ministers to travel across the South Asian nation of 170 million people to assess the scale of the crisis to help coordinate a response.

Data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released on Sunday showed that the number of children aged six months to five years old with suspected measles symptoms soared to 6,476.

“Compared with past years, the number of affected children is higher, and the death toll is higher too,” Halimur Rashid, director at Communicable Disease Control, told the AFP news agency.

The largest number of suspected cases on record was in 2005 at 25,934, according to World Health Organization (WHO) data. That number had significantly declined in succeeding years until this year.

Rashid attributed the potential outbreak to “multifactorial causes, including a shortage of vaccines”.

The confirmed number of measles cases among children aged six months to five years stands at 826 with 16 deaths. Experts said in many cases, testing is either not done or patients die before testing can be carried out.

Measles is one of the world’s most contagious diseases, according to the WHO, and is transmitted when a person coughs or sneezes. While the disease can affect a person of any age, it is most common among children and can cause complications, including brain swelling and severe breathing problems.

The WHO estimated as many as 95,000 measles deaths occur globally every year, mostly among unvaccinated or undervaccinated children under the age of five, according to its latest statistics.

There is no specific treatment for measles once caught.

Bangladesh has made significant advancements in vaccinations to tackle infectious diseases, but a measles drive due in June 2024 was delayed by a deadly uprising that same year that toppled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Most Bangladeshi children receive a vaccine at nine months although many infected in the recent outbreak had been six months old, officials said.

“We committed to reducing the number to zero by December 2025 but failed to achieve the target due to poor vaccination programmes,” said Mahmudur Rahman, chief of the National Verification Committee of Measles and Rubella.

Dhaka has identified 30 of the most affected areas in the region and has started a vaccination programme. Health Minister Sardar Shakhawat Hossain Bakul said the vaccination drive will cover the “worst affected areas” before being expanded to other regions.

Tajul Islam A Bari, a former official at the Expanded Programme on Immunisation and a public health expert, told AFP that although funds had been allocated for vaccine purchases, authorities had failed to procure them.

“Now we see the result. The situation is scary,” Bari said. (Al Jazeera)

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Kalani Kumarasinghe: A special measles vaccination program targeting individuals aged 20 to 30 began on Saturday in 12 districts, aiming to enhance immunity against the highly contagious disease.

The program, set to run for four weeks, focuses on individuals who received only one dose of the measles vaccine during childhood.

The inaugural session was held at the Thalangama Divisional Hospital with the participation of Health Ministry Secretary D. Palitha Mahipala and UNICEF Sri Lanka Country Representative Christian Skoog.

The vaccination drive covers Jaffna, Puttalam, Gampaha, Colombo, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Ampara, Kalmunai, Batticaloa, Kandy, and Colombo City.

Those eligible are urged to contact their nearest Medical Officer of Health (MoH) office, Public Health Inspector (PHI), or public health midwife for more information and vaccination access.

Sri Lanka introduced the measles vaccine into its immunization program in 1984, adding a second dose in 2001 to improve immunity.

The World Health Organization declared Sri Lanka measles-free in 2019. However, a global decline in immunization coverage between 2020 and 2022 has led to a resurgence of measles cases, prompting the need for additional interventions.

The Ministry of Health, supported by UNICEF and the WHO, is spearheading the initiative to prevent further outbreaks.

Measles is known to be highly contagious, with one infected individual capable of transmitting the virus to up to 18 others. (Newswire)

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UNICEF, together with WHO, will support the Ministry of Health in implementing a supplementary measles immunization activity (SIA) in Sri Lanka aimed at controlling the ongoing measles outbreak, midst over 700 measles cases reported in the country since May 2023.

The SIA will be launched in two phases; the first phase will commence on Saturday (January 06), targeting 6-9-month-olds in nine identified districts with a high population density where measles cases were reported, including Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Kandy, Jaffna, Kurunegala and Kalmunai. 

Issuing a statement, UNICEF stated that the second phase will be initiated on January 20 and extended to other age groups across the country.

Speaking at a press briefing held in Colombo recently to announce the launch of the supplementary immunization activity, UNICEF Representative in Sri Lanka, Christian Skoog said, “UNICEF, as well as WHO, has been closely associated partners with the Ministry of Health for many years in the implementation of the national immunization programme, which is a success story in Sri Lanka.  However, even with a high immunization coverage, measles outbreaks can occur among unvaccinated children, especially when there are outbreaks in the region. While the numbers are small with the recent measles outbreak, it is important to take it seriously and that is what the Ministry of Health is doing, in taking appropriate steps to control it.”

He also added the assistance extended by UNICEF during COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021 to maintain the quality of vaccines by addressing the gaps in the cold chain equipment system, will undoubtedly support in implementing this effective supplementary immunization activity.

Meanwhile, Secretary to the Ministry of Health (MoH), Dr. Palitha Mahipala expressed confidence in the success of the vaccination drive, stating, “There is no other country in the world which has reached over 99% immunization coverage. I can confidently state without any hesitation that Sri Lanka is the only country which reached 99.9% immunization coverage. So, I am optimistic that with this supplementary immunization activity, the measles cases reported will be reduced.”

The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine was introduced into Sri Lanka’s immunization program in 1984. In 2001, a second dose of the vaccine was introduced to improve population-level immunity and in 2019, the WHO declared Sri Lanka as a country free of Measles. However, a significant drop in global immunization coverage from 2020 to 2022 impacted many countries in the region, which has led to a rise in measles cases once again, including in Sri Lanka.

Dr. Alaka Singh, WHO Representative to Sri Lanka who also spoke at the presser said, “The cases reported so far have been mild, and no deaths have been reported. However, measles can be a major childhood disease, which can and must be prevented. Accordingly, MoH has embarked on a rapid supplementary immunization activity in two phases through the strong primary healthcare system. We, as WHO, reiterate our full support for this program and overall recovery in Sri Lanka going forward.”

Other experts in attendance at the media briefing included Dr. Asela Gunawardena, Director General of Health Services, Ministry of Health; Dr. Vinod Kumar Bura, Coordinator, Immunization and Vaccine Development, Department of Communicable Diseases, WHO South-East Asia Regional Office; the Chief Epidemiologist; Director, Health Promotion Bureau as well as other consultants and specialists from MoH.  

UNICEF and MoH, through this latest SIA, are committed to combating any possible measles outbreaks in Sri Lanka. While measles is highly infectious, past vaccination initiatives have shown success in controlling outbreaks when high coverage is achieved. Stakeholders noted that strategic public awareness and community engagement will be critical in conveying the urgency of vaccinations and ensuring the campaign’s success. (NewsWire)

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Four cases of measles have been detected at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, Consultant Paediatrician at the hospital Dr. Deepal Perera said. 

Speaking to the media yesterday, Dr. Perera stated that 12 children have shown symptoms of measles as of Monday (10), while four are confirmed to have contracted the disease.

“Measles symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes. It also includes a type of rash on the body known as the Measles rash,” he explained. 

Dr. Perera further revealed that children who had failed to obtain the MMR vaccine for measles are among those with symptoms of the disease.

“The MMR vaccine is provided at 09 months and three years for children free of charge. We advise parents to obtain these vaccines for their children to ensure their health and safety,” he added. 

Dr. Deepal Perera warned that a significant increase in measles has been observed in the past few days, and urged parents to remain vigilant as it could result in severe health complications for the children. 

He also urged parents to obtain the MMR vaccine for measles without fail for their children to prevent such health complications. (NewsWire)

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