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Several districts, including the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, have suddenly seen a high incidence of measles among children, although the health department says children are being affected by the disease across the country.
Discussions are intensifying as to why the disease is on the rise again after children aged 9 to 15 months are vaccinated against the disease as part of the country’s expanded immunization programme.
Doctors say many children are getting the disease even after vaccination, which is worrying. Because this disease caused by a highly contagious virus can also put the life of the affected child at risk.
However, this time the affected patients are being treated based on their symptoms and they are also saying that they are recovering.
Health Minister Sardar Sakhawat Hossain Bakul said in an event on Sunday that about 600 crore taka has been allocated for new vaccinations to deal with the situation.
He complained that because of the non-vaccination of this highly contagious disease in the last eight years, the outbreak of measles is appearing again.
On the other hand, the health department said that they are preparing to vaccinate children against measles through a special campaign in July-August.
“Vaccines are already on the way. Gavi, the global vaccine alliance, has been informed of what is needed. They will provide 2 crore syringes between May and July. We will start the campaign (special vaccination program) once everything is put together,” Shahriar Sajjad, deputy director of the health department, told BBC Bangla.
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Why is the number of measles patients increasing?
Talking to health department officials and pediatricians, it is said that the new outbreak of measles is believed to be mainly due to lack of adequate vaccination, inadequate breastfeeding of children, lack of necessary deworming medication and malnutrition.
In addition, the quality of measles vaccination and whether any changes in the virus type due to long-term vaccination have contributed to new measles outbreaks are also being questioned.
Two more children died of measles in Mymensingh. Hospitals in different places, including Dhaka, are getting crowded with suspicion of measles. In the month of March, at least 20 children have died due to measles across the country.
“Normally, children are vaccinated under the EPI program when they are 9 months old. But this time, 33 percent of those infected were infected before this age. That means the infection of the disease is increasing among children under 9 months of age,” Shahriar Sajjad told BBC Bangla.
Children aged 9-15 years are usually given two measles vaccinations as part of the Expanded Immunization Program, but in 2024, the special program of measles vaccination in addition every four years did not take place.
“Corona in 2020, political situation in 2024 due to various reasons, the special campaign of measles vaccination was not done and then it was not planned to be done in April of this year,” said Mr. Sajjad
Since the beginning of this year, the possibility of outbreak of this disease was revealed. Especially at the beginning of January, the number of people affected by the disease was increasing in the Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar and some slums in Dhaka.
After this month, the news of the death of 33 children due to lack of ventilation and ICU facilities in Rajshahi Medical College was published in the country’s media. Although 10 to 12 of these children were infected with measles.
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With the help of World Health Organization, 153 patient samples of Rajshahi division were tested this month and 44 people were confirmed to have measles. Local health officials said that the infection is happening in Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi and Pabna.
“Earlier till February 16, we sent samples of 20 patients to Dhaka. 10 of them were confirmed to be measles patients,” Chapainawabganj civil surgeon Dr AKM Shahab Uddin told BBC Bangla.
He said that in all the upazilas of the district children were found to be affected by measles and many are recovering after treatment.
Professor Sanjay Kumar Dey, a pediatrician in Dhaka, told BBC Bangla that it is important to be careful about children with measles because the disease can weaken the children’s immune system and thus lead to pneumonia and diarrhea.
Till last Thursday, at least 80 people in Rajshahi were recommended to be taken to ICU, but not all of them were given that facility. 9 people died even after being admitted to the ICU.
Since the beginning of this year, more than 400 patients have been admitted to Dhaka’s Infectious Diseases Hospital with suspected measles, most of whom have been diagnosed with measles, an official said. This hospital in Dhaka provides treatment for Measles, Vasant, Dhanushtankar, Black Fever and Rabies.
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Information about the disease
Doctors say that some studies in recent years have seen babies getting measles before the age of nine months.
But in the Expanded Immunization or EPI program, children are first given this vaccine at the age of 9 months. That’s why many people are in favor of bringing up the measles vaccination deadline.
Many people are also concerned about the quality of the vaccine produced by the local company for so long.
Pediatrician Professor Sanjay Kumar Dey says measles symptoms appear within one to two weeks of exposure to the virus. And one person with measles can infect at least 18 others.
“In its first stage, symptoms like high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and inability to tolerate light (squint) appear. It is a viral and highly contagious disease. If infected with it, the immune system may decrease. Then the child may suffer from pneumonia and loose motion. Again, malnutrition occurs. All in all, this disease can put the child’s life at risk,” he told BBC Bangla.
According to doctors, most of the time children with measles have to be kept under separate management in the hospital and treated.
However, mentioning the disease as preventable, Sanjay Kumar Dey said that it is possible to protect children from this disease if they take timely vaccination.
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What is being done to address the situation?
Health Minister Sardar Sakhawat Hossain Bakul said that measles (measles) patients have increased a lot. Measles vaccine was given eight years ago and no government has given the vaccine since then.
“The prevalence of measles has increased in the last 15 days. But we still have the capacity. Treatment is being given at the Infectious Diseases Hospital. Besides, a separate corner has been made for measles at the DNCC Hospital. ICU is ready in the Infectious Diseases Hospital, with ventilators,” he told reporters at an event in Dhaka today.
Director of Health Department (Hospitals) Abu Hossain Md Moinul Ahsan told BBC Bangla that they are getting information about measles being affected more or less in the whole country, although some specific areas are more affected.
“Separate wards have been opened in ten major medical colleges. These patients cannot be treated in all ICUs. Therefore, separate ICUs are being arranged in infectious disease hospitals,” he said.
