Dhaka: Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain has announced that over 400,000 children have been vaccinated against measles and rubella beyond the government’s initial target. He made these remarks after formally receiving emergency medical supplies from the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and Red Crescent Societies at the ministry’s Secretariat office.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the IFRC has provided 11 ventilator sets, 27 nebulizer machines, 27 oxygen flow meters, and 100,000 saline bags to support the government’s healthcare efforts. In addition, the organization is offering financial aid totaling Taka 2.4 crore to 2,400 patients, with each patient receiving Taka 10,000.
The minister noted that the initial target was to vaccinate 18,015,064 children. As of May 20, the campaign successfully vaccinated 18,431,149 children, surpassing the target by two percent. He acknowledged the difficulty of achieving 100 percent accuracy in such large-scale operations, even in developed nations, and credited the success to the dedication of field-level workers.
Despite the official conclusion of the special campaign on May 20, Sakhawat Husain emphasized that vaccination efforts would continue unabated. He recently conducted a virtual meeting with civil surgeons, hospital directors, and supervisors nationwide to discuss the next phase of the campaign, which began on May 21.
The minister stated that vaccination drives and public announcements would persist until every child in the country is covered. This has now become a regular and ongoing effort. He expressed deep sorrow over the recent deaths of five children from measles in Sylhet, noting that almost none of the deceased had been vaccinated.
When questioned about the possibility of forming an investigation committee regarding negligence in measles vaccination, the minister stressed the current focus on saving children rather than assigning blame.