Dhaka: The government is set to launch a month-long special vaccination campaign from September 26 to bring children who were missed during the measles-rubella vaccination programme under vaccination coverage. The campaign, titled 'Intensified MR Catch-up Vaccination', will continue until October 31, aiming to vaccinate 34 lakh children, as announced by Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain at a press conference at the Bangladesh Secretariat this afternoon.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the minister stated that children aged six months to below five years who did not receive the vaccine or were missed during the ongoing measles-rubella campaign would be identified and vaccinated under the programme. Additionally, children who have recently turned six months old and are newly eligible for the vaccine will also be included in the vaccination coverage.
The government has taken measures to control infections and protect children following the measles outbreak in the country this year. Since April, the measles-rubella vaccination campaign has been conducted in phases, with around 19.83 million children receiving the vaccine so far. Efforts have been made to strengthen routine immunisation and ensure necessary treatment for children affected by measles.
To facilitate this, the government has formulated the National Guidelines on Measles-Rubella Clinical Case Management and trained health workers accordingly. Children missed from vaccination will be listed, and arrangements will be made to vaccinate them. Health workers and volunteers will visit households to verify the vaccination status of children.
In response to concerns about children above five years of age with measles, the minister assured that efforts are being made to cover everyone. Regarding the dengue and measles situation, preparations have been made to provide treatment, with no shortage of saline and mobile hospitals and army personnel ready to assist dengue patients in emergencies.
It was noted that most dengue patients can be treated at the upazila level, although many opt for tertiary-level hospitals, increasing pressure on those facilities. Present at the press conference were Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Health Affairs SM Ziauddin Hyder, Health Services Division Secretary Dr ANM Bazlur Rashid, and DGHS Director General Professor Dr. Pravath Chandra Biswas, among others.