More than 400 people in Bangladesh have died from confirmed or suspected measles in the past two months with government data estimating the number of cases at about 55,000 as Save the Children urges families to ensure children are part of an emergency vaccination campaign [1].

Nine out of 10 cases are in children between the ages of one and 14 years, according to the World Health Organization, with about three quarters of infections occurring in under-fives [2].

In Cox’s Bazar, home to about 1 million Rohingya refugees, there have been four suspected deaths and nearly 500 confirmed or suspected cases, according to the Health Cluster. Of the 60 laboratory-confirmed cases so far reported in the camps in 2026, three quarters were either unvaccinated or partially vaccinated [3].

In 2025, there were 125 cases of measles in total across Bangladesh, according to the BMJ.

The measles outbreak is affecting all eight divisions in Bangladesh, prompting an emergency vaccination campaign across the country.  In the last month, nearly 18 million children have been reached with at least one dose of the vaccine, according to government data [1].

Measles is a highly contagious disease which affects individuals of all ages and is one of the leading causes of death among young children globally, especially for children who are malnourished or have weakened immune systems.

It is almost entirely preventable with two doses of a vaccine, administered from the age of nine months, but Bangladesh had a severe shortage of measles vaccines, with stock outs in 2024 and 2025 leading to gaps in immunisation.

Shumon Sengupta, Country Director, Save the Children Bangladesh said:

“Measles is almost entirely preventable and is it devastating that so many children have lost their lives because of a lack of vaccines.

“It is vital that gaps in supply and routine immunisations are addressed long term, not just for the duration of the nationwide measles-rubella vaccination campaign.

“Before this outbreak, Bangladesh had made significant and commendable progress towards eliminating measles. All children and their families must have uninterrupted access to life-saving vaccines.”

In April, the Government of Bangladesh, UNICEF, WHO, and Gavi launched an emergency Measles Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign in response to the spike in cases among children and infants.

This is the first national measles campaign in Bangladesh since 2020, due to disruptions caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, followed by recent political instability in the country.

Save the Children has implemented extensive activities focusing on vaccination support, community awareness, and capacity building.