Bangladesh has launched an emergency measles and rubella vaccination campaign targeting over 1.2 million children aged six months to five years across 30 districts after more than 100 deaths and 7,500 suspected cases since March 15. The outbreak follows a six-year gap in special vaccination campaigns, which were disrupted first by Covid-19 and then by political upheaval that toppled Sheikh Hasina in 2024, combined with vaccine procurement shortages. The campaign prioritizes Dhaka and Cox's Bazar, home to crowded Rohingya refugee camps, with about one-third of infections occurring in infants under nine months old. The crisis reflects a global trend, as 2024-2025 saw the highest number of measles outbreaks in over 20 years despite overall case reductions since 2000, driven partly by post-pandemic vaccine skepticism in developed nations.
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