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Sunday | September 27, 2026 | Dhaka

‘Prolonged vaccine delays led to measles deaths’

 Staff Reporter
 Published: 12:01 AM, 27 September 2026
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator Shafiqul Islam Khan Milton inspect the 'Nationwide Special Measles-Rubella Vaccination Campaign 2026' in the capital on Saturday.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain has blamed what he described as a four-year delay and negligence in the measles vaccination programme under the previous Awami League and interim governments for recent child deaths.

“The death of every child is deeply painful and a matter of shame for the government,” he said after inaugurating the second phase of the measles vaccination campaign at the Korail TNT playground in Banani on Saturday.

The minister said the country had paid the price for what he described as prolonged delays and negligence in importing vaccines from abroad.

He cited the suspension of the vaccination programme and explanations related to the open tender system as factors behind the delay.

Expressing sympathy for the affected families, Sakhawat Husain said around 1,000 children had died of measles out of nearly 18.5 million children.

“The nation has had to pay the price for the prolonged delay and negligence. Many mothers have lost their children,” he said. The nationwide measles vaccination campaign targeting 34 lakh children aged six months to 59 months began on Saturday and will continue until October 31.

The minister said the government had launched a nationwide measles vaccination campaign in three phases from April 5 after taking responsibility.

Since April 20, around 1.85 crore children have been vaccinated nationwide, he said.
The government has now set a target of vaccinating another 34 lakh children who were missed during the earlier campaign.

Sakhawat Husain said the government had also kept around 10 lakh vaccine doses in reserve for emergency needs.

Vaccination using those doses will continue alongside the routine immunisation programme, he said.
The minister said the current government had taken swift measures after assuming responsibility and successfully implemented a large-scale nationwide vaccination campaign.