The government of Bangladesh has taken emergency measures to combat the ongoing measles outbreak, with plans to launch a special nationwide vaccination campaign starting in June, Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain  announced on Monday.

Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat after a meeting with a delegation led by US Ambassador Brent T. Christensen, the minister said efforts are underway to ensure an adequate supply of vaccines in the coming months.

”The goal is to vaccinate about 2 crores children through this month-long program starting from the first week of June. Children aged six months to 10 years will be vaccinated under this special campaign.”

In response to the worsening outbreak, authorities have also moved to enhance healthcare capacity. An Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in Mohakhali, previously closed following the death of a child, was made operational within just 18 hours.

Minister Sakhawat Husain noted that the meeting marked the first formal engagement between the new government and the United States. Both sides have agreed to begin work on a five-year joint health cooperation plan, focusing on tackling infectious diseases, strengthening pandemic preparedness and improving surveillance systems.

Dedicated wards for children, alongwith isolation facilities and ventilator support, have been arranged in Dhaka and other parts of the country. New ventilators have already been sent to Manikganj and Rajshahi, with plans to add 20 more units nationwide as part of the emergency response.

Officials said that despite routine immunisation efforts over the past decade, no large-scale measles vaccination campaign has been conducted since 2018, leaving gaps among unvaccinated and newly born children.