Bangladesh has lost 900 children to measles - a warning to other countries where vaccine rates have slipped

Monirul Alam/EPA Bangladesh has lost 900 children to measles – a warning to other countries where vaccine rates have slipped Published: September 22, 2026 10:43am EDT https://theconversation.com/bangladesh-has-lost-900-children-to-measles-a-warning-to-other-countries-where-vaccine-rates-have-slipped-292288 https://theconversation.com/bangladesh-has-lost-900-children-to-measles-a-warning-to-other-countries-where-vaccine-rates-have-slipped-292288 Link copied Share article Share article

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Almost 900 people in Bangladesh are suspected to have died in a measles outbreak that began in March. Most of those affected are children.

Measles is one of the most infectious diseases known. It can spread rapidly when vaccination rates fall, and the Bangladesh outbreak shows how quickly years of gaps in protection can turn into a serious public health crisis.

The country had hoped to eliminate measles and rubella by 2020 . Instead, the pandemic disrupted routine childhood vaccinations, leaving pockets of children vulnerable to the virus. Now other countries where vaccination rates have fallen face a similar risk.