{
  "id": 9159353,
  "title": "Bangladesh has lost 900 children to measles—a warning to other countries where vaccine rates have slipped",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/bangladesh-has-lost-900-children-to-measles-a-warning-to-other",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-22T16:20:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-bangladesh-lost-children-measles-countries.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Almost 900 children are suspected to have died in a measles outbreak in Bangladesh that began in March. Most victims are young. Measles is highly infectious and can spread rapidly when vaccination rates fall. Bangladesh had aimed to eliminate measles and rubella by 2020, but the pandemic disrupted routine childhood vaccinations, leaving some children vulnerable to the virus. Vaccine hesitancy may have played a role, with almost half the population wary of vaccines during the COVID pandemic. Poverty, low education levels and inadequate antenatal care also impact vaccination coverage. Between March 15 and September 6, 2025, Bangladesh reported 92 suspected measles cases and 11 confirmed cases per 100,000 population. In response, a nationwide emergency vaccination campaign for children aged 6 months to 5 years was launched in April, with extra doses for infants aged 6 to 8 months. The campaign began in 30 sub-districts and was later rolled out nationally. It was the first national measles campaign since 2020. Each child with suspected or confirmed measles was also given vitamin A to reduce the risk of severe illness and death. The campaign activated district rapid response teams, added isolation beds in hospitals, and tightened infection control measures. Despite this effort, risks remain. Measles is highly contagious, and if children miss booster shots or if large gatherings continue, another outbreak could occur. For measles, around 95% of a community needs to be vaccinated to maintain control. Bangladesh's outbreak highlights the importance of sustained vaccination, strong surveillance, and rapid response to outbreaks.",
  "summary": "Almost 900 people in Bangladesh are suspected to have died in a measles outbreak that began in March. Most of those affected are children.",
  "key_points": [
    "Almost 900 children suspected to have died in Bangladesh measles outbreak.",
    "Pandemic disrupted routine vaccinations, leaving children vulnerable.",
    "Nationwide emergency campaign launched in April to combat outbreak."
  ],
  "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."
}