Measles situation: Barguna sees 18pc of total deaths, gaps in vaccination programme arrangements

Measles–rubella vaccination began at the Barguna Sadar Hospital vaccination centre at 8:00 am on Sunday. The centre closed before 4:00 pm. When visited at around 3:45 pm, no staff was available to explain why it had closed early.

Shahriar Sazzad, a supervisor of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), told Prothom Alo that emergency vaccination centres to prevent measles–rubella among children would open daily at 8:00 am and continue until 4:00 pm. If a child is vaccinated at 4:00 pm, the centre will remain open for an additional half an hour for observing the child.

Measles outbreaks have been relatively higher in 30 upazilas across 18 districts of the country. According to EPI data, the infection rate is highest in Barguna Sadar upazila. Yet, there are shortcomings in the vaccination arrangements there. There have not been even adequate preparations for this.

Barguna Civil Surgeon Mohammad Abul Fatha told Prothom Alo that 140 people have been infected with measles in the district so far this year. Of them, 33 are receiving treatment in hospital. Three have died, while the rest have recovered and returned home.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that the national measles infection rate is 16.8 per million people. In contrast, EPI data shows the infection rate in Barguna Sadar is 294.5 per million—by far the highest in the country.

At around 10:00 am yesterday, a large crowd was seen at Barguna Sadar Hospital, a common occurrence on most days. The vaccination centre, located on the ground floor of the old building, was also crowded. About 20 people were jostling inside the small vaccination room. Six nurses were busy recording children’s names, checking prior vaccination status, registering them, opening vials, and administering doses. Parents were present, each with a child, along with members of the media.

One child, Touhid, aged one and a half, had come with his mother from No. 4 Keorabunia Union. He appeared cheerful until the injection was administered in his leg, after which he cried loudly. Within two to three minutes, he calmed down, and his mother left with him. Another child then came forward, and vaccinations continued one after another. By that time, 40 children had been vaccinated. A total of 218 children were vaccinated at the centre throughout the day.

A separate ward for measles patients has been set up on the 5th floor of the hospital’s new building. However, no strict controls were observed on the movement of media personnel or the general public in and out of the ward.

Musa, aged six months, was sitting with his mother Nupur, 28, from Burirchar Union. Nupur said Musa is her second child. She had not heard of any other children in her area contracting measles and was unsure how her child became infected. She could not recall whether she herself had been vaccinated against measles. Her face was pensive.

On a nearby bed, one-year-old Tahsin was asleep, with his maternal grandmother sitting beside him. She said Tahsin had been admitted with fever and cold symptoms, but before recovering, he developed measles. She suspected the infection may have been contracted at the hospital.

Conversations with several parents at the vaccination centre and hospital revealed that while they are concerned about measles. Many, however, are apparently inattentive or indifferent about vaccinating their children. Some could not even confirm whether their children had previously received the measles vaccine.

Mohammad Mamun was seen outside the Char Colony Hamidia Government Primary School vaccination centre with his four-year-old daughter. She had not received either the first dose at nine months or the second dose at 15 months. Asked why, he simply said, “It just wasn’t done.”

At around 3:30 pm, only a few vaccination workers were present at the same centre. There were no chairs or tables there; they had been working all day using the veranda wall as a makeshift workspace. Workers said their first-day target was to vaccinate 220 children, but only 110 had arrived by then, meaning the target would not be met.

Earlier, at around 3:00 pm, the vaccination centre at the Barguna municipal office was found closed. A total of 1,884 children were vaccinated across the district yesterday.

According to data from the Civil Surgeon’s office, a target has been set to vaccinate 27,000 children aged six months to five years in Barguna Sadar upazila and pourashava.

Vaccination is being conducted at 15 centres in the upazila and five in the pourashava. One reason for low turnout at some centres is that many parents are unaware of the emergency vaccination campaign. No banners or posters were seen in the town, and no public announcements were made. At one centre, even basic furniture such as chairs and tables was absent.

The programme was formally inaugurated at the Civil Surgeon’s office at 11:00 am yesterday. Speaking at the event, Civil Surgeon Abul Fatha said the district had faced a widespread dengue outbreak last year, and this year measles has emerged. Lessons from dengue prevention must now be applied to measles.

Journalists present at the event complained that both the public and media were confused about the emergency programme. People did not know how many centres were available, when they would be open, or how long the campaign would continue. There had been no effective publicity.

In response, the Civil Surgeon said the programme had been launched with very little preparation time. Public awareness efforts would be strengthened, and any coordination gaps would be addressed.

The Directorate General of Health Services’ Integrated Control Centre reported yesterday afternoon that 17 confirmed measles deaths have occurred nationwide so far. Of these, five children were from Barishal Division, including three from Barguna, meaning 18 per cent of total deaths have occurred in this small district.

The Civil Surgeon said one of the three deceased children was from Patharghata upazila and the other two from Sadar upazila. One died at the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Dhaka, another at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, and the third at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barishal.