Govt Fast-Tracking Measles Vaccine Procurement: Health Minister

The government is prioritizing the rapid procurement of vaccines to combat the ongoing measles outbreak. A total of Tk 604 crore has been allocated to the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) to facilitate this, Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain announced on Monday.

The Minister shared these updates following a meeting with US Ambassador Brent T. Christensen at the Secretariat.

Minister Sakhawat Hossain confirmed that the financial and administrative hurdles for procurement have been cleared.

"The Purchase Committee has approved the vaccine procurement, and it has been passed by the Finance Committee of the Ministry of Finance," the Minister stated. "We are working urgently to bring the measles vaccine to the country."

He assured the public that once the shipment arrives, the government will immediately launch a nationwide vaccination drive. "We want to assure the people that our efforts are continuous. Insha Allah, we will manage this," he added.

Addressing the current surge in cases, the Minister highlighted unprecedented infrastructure upgrades.

Large spaces originally created by the DNCC for COVID-19 have been cleaned and reopened as measles isolation centers.

Separate wards and ventilators have been arranged for pediatric patients in various hospitals.

An 8-bed ICU unit with ventilators is now operational in Manikganj, and five ventilators have been dispatched to Rajshahi.

The Minister attributed the current severity of the outbreak to a lapse in regular vaccination campaigns. While a major campaign was held in 2018, the follow-up drive—normally scheduled every four years—did not take place.

"The purpose of these campaigns is to reach children who missed their routine doses or newborns. Because no campaign was held after 2018, the virus is spreading more aggressively among unvaccinated children," he explained.