The world got distracted and there was trouble! Measles outbreak in Bangladesh, more than 60 thousand children ill; Know how safe India is

The entire attention of the world was focused on dangerous viruses like Hantavirus and Ebola for some time, but in the meantime a very disturbing news is coming from our neighboring country Bangladesh. Measles infection has spread so rapidly there that the situation is now completely out of control. Till now, more than 60,000 people in the country have been affected by it and more than 500 children have died. Haseena Rahman, Deputy Regional Director of Asia International Rescue Committee, has expressed her deep concern while talking to ‘National Public Radio’ (NPR). He said that from the very beginning we were shouting warnings to the world about this serious situation, but despite this, it was not paid attention to in time, the result of which is in front of everyone today. The devastation started from the month of March. According to the report of NPR, this dangerous orgy of Measles morbillivirus in Bangladesh started from the middle of March. Within a few months the infection figures crossed 60 thousand. According to the data of health agencies, till now about 528 innocent children have lost their lives due to this disease. In this measles outbreak, small children are becoming the biggest victims, which is a matter of great concern for health experts. Why did the system fail in Bangladesh? The United Nations organization UNICEF has clarified the situation on this major health crisis. UNICEF says that regular vaccination of children has not been done properly in Bangladesh during the last few years. The biggest reason for this outbreak is the lack of adequate measles vaccine for children. As per the rules of ‘Expanded Program of Immunization’ (EPI), it is mandatory for every child to be given two doses of Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine. Its first dose is given when the child is 9 months old and the second dose is given at 15 months of age. But due to the slowness in the vaccination campaign, lakhs of children remained deprived of this protective shield. Big risk has increased during the festival season. Preparations are going on in Bangladesh for the upcoming Bakrid festival. On this occasion, it is natural for huge crowds to gather in markets, roads and public places. Health experts believe that gathering and crowding of people during festivals can become a major source of spread of this virus. Experts have appealed to the people to exercise caution amid the festive cheer, because only a little vigilance and social distancing can prevent the situation from worsening. Is there any alarm bell for India also? How dangerous the measles virus is, you can guess from the fact that it spreads airborne just like the corona virus, but its infection capacity is many times more than that of the corona. The measles virus can remain alive in the air for about 2 hours even after the infected person leaves. That means, if a measles patient had entered a closed room 2 hours ago, then a healthy person who goes there after that can also fall prey to it. Due to being a neighboring country and movement across borders, there is always a risk of spread of this virus in India too. However, it is a matter of relief that India’s vaccination record is very strong. According to World Health Organization (WHO) data for 2024, India had achieved the target of more than 96 per cent of the first dose of measles vaccine, while the coverage of the second dose has also been more than 92 per cent. Due to this strong immunity cover, the risk of its spread on a large scale in India is very low, yet it is necessary to be cautious in the border areas. Disclaimer: The purpose of this article is only to provide some information related to the measles disease spreading in Bangladesh. Any information given here should not be used as treatment for any disease or as medical advice. If you notice any health related problem or symptoms, always consult your nearest doctor or specialist.