The emergency campaign, starting on 5 April in 30 upazilas, will expand to four City Corporations from 12 April, and go nationwide from 3rd May
DHAKA, April 4, 2026 —The Government of Bangladesh, with support from UNICEF, WHO and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is launching an emergency measles-rubella vaccination campaign to protect more than 1.2 million children aged 6 months to 5 years across 30 upazilas in 18 high-risk districts, with a phased expansion and gradual scaling up to additional districts and City Corporation areas nationwide.
The campaign is prioritizing children who have missed routine immunization and are most vulnerable to severe illness and complications. In Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar, efforts will be intensified to ensure high coverage in densely populated and high-risk settings.
Without a rapid scale-up of vaccination and response measures, transmission is likely to continue expanding, placing further strain on health services and increasing the risk of severe health outcomes among children. The campaign complements ongoing routine immunization efforts and forms part of a broader strategy to restore immunization coverage, strengthen health systems, and build resilience against future resurgences.
“Vaccines are foundational to child survival. UNICEF is deeply concerned about the sharp rise in measles cases across Bangladesh, putting thousands of children, especially the youngest and most vulnerable, at serious risk. This resurgence highlights critical immunity gaps, particularly among zero-dose and under-vaccinated children, while infections among infants under nine months, who are not yet eligible for routine vaccination, are especially alarming,” said Rana Flowers, UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh. “We extend our deepest condolences to families who have lost loved ones and offer our support to the Government of Bangladesh for renewed efforts building on this emergency campaign. With coordinated action, this resurgence can be contained. UNICEF is working closely with the Government and partners to reach every child, close immunity gaps, and protect Bangladesh’s children from this preventable disease.”
Thanks to donors, especially Gavi, UNICEF is supporting vaccine procurement and delivery, strengthening cold chain systems, and leading risk communication and community engagement to ensure caregivers are informed and motivated to vaccinate their children. UNICEF is also working closely with frontline health workers and partners to reach children in remote, underserved, and high-burden areas.
WHO commends the Government of Bangladesh for its decisive and timely action,” said Dr Ahmed Jamsheed Mohamed, WHO Representative to Bangladesh. “By targeting children aged 6 to 59 months in high-risk areas, followed by nation-wide scale-up, this campaign will help prevent further tragic loss of young lives and close the immunity gaps driving the outbreak. The measles–rubella vaccine is safe, effective and has protected billions of children worldwide – it is our strongest defence against this fast-spreading disease.
WHO urges all parents and caregivers to bring their children to the nearest vaccination centre and remains committed to supporting the Government and partners to safeguard the health of every child across Bangladesh.”
"The loss of children’s lives in this outbreak is a tragic reminder that measles can quickly turn deadly when immunity gaps persist. Together with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, WHO and UNICEF, Gavi is supporting Bangladesh to roll out measles rubella vaccines already in the country. It is urgent that we work together as effectively as possible to bring the current situation under control," said Dirk Gehl, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Senior Country Manager for Bangladesh.
Bangladesh has a strong history of high immunization coverage, but even small disruptions can lead to the gradual accumulation of immunity gaps over time. Resurgences like the current one are typically the result of these accumulated gaps rather than a single factor. As the lead agency for vaccine procurement, UNICEF is working closely with the Government to ensure timely access to quality-assured vaccines and to expedite supply in response to increased demand.
Health facilities in high-burden areas are already facing overcrowding, limited isolation capacity, and gaps in referral and treatment, increasing the risk of transmission and complications among children. In Cox’s Bazar, these challenges are further compounded by high population density and mobility, making rapid vaccination even more critical.
Since 2007, Gavi has invested more than US$2.2 billion (including US$1.1 billion in the last five years alone) to support measles and measles rubella immunization through routine programmes, preventive campaigns and outbreak response across 57 lower income countries, reaching over 1.3 billion children. In 2024, Gavi backed one of the largest pushes against measles, supporting 24 countries to roll out catch-up and follow-up campaigns reaching more than 62 million children, alongside outbreak response in five countries, vaccinating up to 6.8 million children. Under the Gavi Leap reform agenda, the Alliance will from 2026 to 2030 sharpening its focus on securing vaccine supply, providing predictable funding for outbreak response, and supporting country led efforts to close immunity gaps at scale.
UNICEF and WHO, together with partners, continue to call for sustained investment in immunization and child health services to ensure that all children in Bangladesh are protected, today and in the future.
About Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate more than half the world’s children against some of the world’s deadliest diseases. The Vaccine Alliance brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private sector partners. View the full list of donor governments and other leading organisations that fund Gavi’s work here.
Since its inception in 2000, Gavi has helped to immunise a whole generation – over 1.1 billion children – and prevented more than 18.8 million future deaths, helping to halve child mortality in 78 lower‑income countries. Gavi also plays a key role in improving global health security by supporting health systems as well as funding global stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningococcal and yellow fever vaccines. After two decades of progress, Gavi is now focused on protecting the next generation, above all the zero-dose children who have not received even a single vaccine shot. The Vaccine Alliance employs innovative finance and the latest technology – from drones to biometrics – to save lives, prevent outbreaks before they can spread and help countries on the road to self-sufficiency. Learn more at www.gavi.org and connect with us on Facebook and X (Twitter).
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org/bangladesh/
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About WHO
Dedicated to the well-being of all people and guided by science, the World Health Organization leads and champions global efforts to give everyone, everywhere an equal chance at a safe and healthy life. From emerging epidemics such as COVID-19 and Zika to the persistent threat of communicable diseases including HIV, malaria, Ebola, Marburg and tuberculosis and chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer, we bring together 194 countries and work on the frontlines in 150+ locations to confront the biggest health challenges of our time and measurably advance the well-being of the world’s people. Our mission is to promote, Provide and protect health and keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable.
For more information about WHO and its work, visit www.who.int
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For more information please contact:
Miguel Mateos Muñoz, Chief Communication and Advocacy, UNICEF Bangladesh, +8801713043478, mmateosmunoz@unicef.org
Faria Selim, Communication Specialist, UNICEF Bangladesh, Tel: +880 181 758 6096, fselim@unicef.org
Cirũ Kariũki, Gavi, +41 79 913 94 41, ckariuki@gavi.org
Salma Sultana, National Professional Officer - Communication & Media, WHO Bangladesh, Tel: +8801817534341, Email: ssultana@who.int