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Bangladesh measles outbreak causes over 1,200 deaths
Bangladesh is facing a severe measles epidemic, with the death toll of children reaching 1,201 since March 15, 2026. According to data from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the fatalities include 1,097 children with measles-like symptoms and 104 children with laboratory-confirmed diagnoses.
The outbreak has resulted in more than 214,000 reported cases of measles-like symptoms and 23,157 laboratory-confirmed cases. Hospital admissions related to suspected measles have exceeded 190,000, with a significant majority of patients successfully recovering and being discharged.
Health experts and organizations such as the WHO and UNICEF attribute the surge to declining vaccination rates. While Bangladesh was previously considered a leader in immunization, the first-dose vaccination rate fell to 90% in 2025, and the second-dose rate dropped to 86%. This is below the 95% threshold required to prevent the spread of the disease. An emergency vaccination campaign was launched in March to target children aged six months to five years, but the outbreak continues to place a heavy burden on the national healthcare system.
Entities
Bangladesh · Directorate General of Health Services · Reuters · UNICEF · World Health Organization
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 4 SOURCES] There have been 23,157 laboratory or clinically confirmed measles cases. sondakikakibris.com · anlatilaninotesi.com.tr · www.trakyaolay.com · maktoobmedia.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Of the deaths, 1,097 children exhibited measles-like symptoms and 104 had confirmed measles diagnoses. sondakikakibris.com · anlatilaninotesi.com.tr · www.trakyaolay.com · maktoobmedia.com
- [● 10 SOURCES] Since March 15, 2026, 1,201 children have died due to measles or measles-like symptoms. sondakikakibris.com · anlatilaninotesi.com.tr · www.trakyaolay.com · www.kurierverlag.de · www.hna.de · +5 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] The first-dose vaccination rate dropped to 90% in 2025, while the second-dose rate fell to 86%. www.kurierverlag.de · www.hna.de · www.kreiszeitung.de · www.mannheim24.de · www.op-online.de · +1 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] A vaccination coverage of at least 95% is required to prevent the spread of measles. www.kurierverlag.de · www.hna.de · www.kreiszeitung.de · www.mannheim24.de · www.op-online.de · +1 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] A total of 214,551 people have shown measles-like symptoms in the country. sondakikakibris.com · anlatilaninotesi.com.tr · www.trakyaolay.com · www.tz.de