Over 100 children dead in B’desh measles outbreak

DHAKA, April 7: Bangladesh is conducting emergency measles-rubella vaccinations after an outbreak killed more than 100 children in less than a month. The campaign targets children aged 6 months to 5 years in 18 high-risk districts and will expand nationwide, supported by WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi. Over 900 cases have been confirmed among 7,500 suspected cases, exposing immunity gaps, especially in unvaccinated children and infants under nine months. Authorities urge parents to seek hospital care for suspected cases, while Health Minister Sardar Mohammed Sakhawat Husain blamed past government mismanagement for vaccine shortages. (PTI)