A targeted measles vaccination drive commenced today, Sunday, April 5, 2026, across 30 high-risk Upazilas in 18 districts of Bangladesh. The campaign aims to contain recent outbreaks of the highly contagious disease.

The program, which began at 9:00 AM, is specifically designed for children aged 6 months to 59 months.

Health officials clarified that even children who have previously received the measles vaccine are eligible and encouraged to take this supplementary dose during the current campaign.

High-Risk Areas Covered
During a press conference at the Secretariat on Saturday, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain Bakul explained that the first phase focuses exclusively on 30 areas identified as "high-risk" due to increased infection rates.

The campaign covers municipalities and sub-districts in the following 18 districts:

Barishal Division: Barguna (Sadar), Barishal (Mehendiganj, Bakerganj), Jhalokathi (Nalchity).

Dhaka Division: Gazipur (Sadar), Munshiganj (Sadar, Louhajang, Sreenagar), Madaripur (Sadar), Dhaka (Nawabganj), Shariatpur (Zajira).

Rajshahi Division: Pabna (Sadar, Ishwardi, Atgharia, Bera), Chapainawabganj (Sadar, Shibganj, Volahat), Rajshahi (Godagari), Naogaon (Porsha), Natore (Sadar).

Chattogram Division: Chandpur (Sadar, Haimchar), Cox’s Bazar (Moheshkhali, Ramu).

Mymensingh Division: Netrokona (Atpara), Mymensingh (Sadar, Trishal, Tarakanda).

Khulna Division: Jashore (Sadar).

Key Health Guidelines
The Health Minister provided specific instructions regarding the administration of the vaccine:

Current Illness: Children who are currently sick will not be administered the vaccine at this time.

Infected Children: Those already suffering from measles will be provided with Vitamin A capsules instead of the vaccine to aid recovery and prevent complications.

Future Expansion: While the campaign is currently limited to these 30 sub-districts, the Minister assured that the program will be expanded to other parts of the country in subsequent phases.

The government urges parents in the designated areas to visit their nearest vaccination centers to ensure their children are protected against the growing threat of measles.