{
  "id": 10398751,
  "title": "Measles vaccine still unknown in some pockets of Sylhet",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/measles-vaccine-still-unknown-in-some-pockets-of-sylhet",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-28T08:09:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Star BD Health",
    "slug": "daily-star-bd-health",
    "url": "https://www.thedailystar.net/health/news/measles-vaccine-still-unknown-some-pockets-sylhet-4284986"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Sylhet division, measles vaccine remains unknown in several pockets, leaving children from marginalized communities particularly vulnerable. Access to vaccination and awareness gaps have left many susceptible to the disease. Dr MA Haque, a specialist at Moulvibazar Sadar Hospital, reported that over 60% of admitted patients were under-five children, and more than 60% of these children were unvaccinated. Many unvaccinated children hail from tea garden workers, nomadic Bede families, and remote haor areas, according to patient histories. At the hospital's measles isolation ward, only four of the 20 patients and their relatives had received the measles vaccine; some parents were unaware their children needed immunisation. For nomadic Bede families, reaching vaccination services is challenging due to their constant relocation. Limited information dissemination also hinders coverage for families who settle in one place. Champa Akter from the Bede community in Moulvibazar municipality noted that her three-year-old child had never been vaccinated because they received no vaccine information. Binoy Baidya from Karimpur Tea Garden mentioned his nine-month-old son missed vaccination due to distance, as announcements rarely reached his remote location. Dilip Namasudra from Ontehori, a remote haor area, said vaccinators did not visit their locality often. Puja Sarkar of Sarkar Bazar shared that her 11-month-old son was unvaccinated after a doctor advised against it due to his physical weakness. Health officials attribute the lack of vaccinations to parental negligence, with EPI inspector Abdur Rahman stating that designated vaccination centres and schedules were not always heeded. Despite efforts, Dr Haque emphasized the need for area-specific awareness campaigns, including through mosques and temples, to boost vaccination coverage. The hospital is overwhelmed by the increasing patient influx, with Dr Pronoy Kanti Das reporting that admissions exceeded its capacity. Dr Mohammad Noore Alam Shamim of Sylhet's Health Office confirmed that recent visits to Sunamganj and Sylhet revealed unvaccinated individuals from marginalized communities. The newly launched vaccination drive aims to ensure no one is left out, with a target of 1,069 suspected or confirmed measles cases since January 1, including 563 hospitalisations and 179 deaths. As of now, 16 new confirmed cases and one death have been reported in the past 24 hours.",
  "summary": "Many children in tea gardens, haor areas and Bede communities remain unvaccinated due to lack of awareness and access",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}