Bangladesh measles outbreak claims 4 more child deaths, total rises to 656

Bangladesh's measles outbreak continued to worsen, with four additional child deaths reported in a 24‑hour period, bringing the national death toll to 656. Health officials confirm 93 laboratory‑verified deaths and 563 suspected deaths. In the same period, 972 new suspected cases were recorded, raising the total suspected cases to 86,923, and 64 new lab‑confirmed cases lifted that total to 10,387.

Since the emergency vaccination campaign began on 15 March, more than 71,000 suspected patients have been hospitalized, of whom nearly 68,000 have recovered and returned home. Despite government claims that vaccination coverage among target children exceeds 100 %, the outbreak persists, prompting experts to question the real coverage and note that thousands of children remain unvaccinated. UNICEF has repeatedly warned the interim government since 2024 about vaccine shortages, sending letters and holding ten meetings, but adequate vaccine procurement has not been achieved. Hospitals continue to admit over 1,000 children daily with measles‑like symptoms.