A study conducted among children admitted with measles at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute has found that 80 per cent of the patients had not received a measles vaccine.
Another investigation revealed that 52 per cent of children who died from measles were younger than nine months old. Experts say more in-depth research on measles and vaccination is needed in Bangladesh.
The study was conducted between April and May and included 341 children aged up to 14 years who received treatment at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute. It was carried out by a team of 19 researchers from the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) and the hospital.
The findings were presented on Sunday at a seminar held at BRAC University by Mustafizur Rahman, Senior Director of the Infectious Diseases Division at icddr,b and Head of the Virology Laboratory and Genome Centre.
The seminar, organised by the university’s Department of Microbiology, focused on the country’s measles outbreak and measures needed to control it.
At the seminar, Professor Mahmudur Rahman, former Director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), presented findings from his own investigation. Professor Abid Hossain Mollah, former Head of the Department of Pediatrics at Dhaka Medical College, also spoke about protecting children’s health. Faculty members and students from various departments attended the event.
80 per cent of children hadn't been vaccinated
Mustafizur Rahman said that 80 per cent of the children had not received any measles vaccine. Among them, 43 per cent were too young to be vaccinated, as they were under six months of age. Another 37 per cent were older than nine months but had still not received any measles vaccine. Of the remaining children, 14 per cent had received one dose, while only 6 per cent had received both recommended doses.
Explaining why Bangladesh begins measles vaccination at nine months of age, Rahman cited a separate study involving 200 mothers and 200 children in Kamalapur, Dhaka.
He said babies receive protective antibodies from their mothers, but these antibodies usually disappear between six and nine months. Vaccinating infants at a younger age is generally less effective.
When the vaccine is given between four and six months, only 50–75 per cent of infants develop protective antibodies. By contrast, vaccination between nine and twelve months protects 88–90 per cent of children.
Rahman added that if the measles vaccination campaign had begun about ten months earlier, the outbreak might not have become so severe.
Most measles deaths were of unvaccinated children
Professor Mahmudur Rahman reported that 91 per cent of the 337 children who died from measles had not received any vaccine.
Among the 337 deaths, 22 per cent were infants younger than six months, 30 per cent were between six and nine months, 25 per cent were between nine and eleven months, 17 per cent were between one and four years of age, and the remaining 6 per cent were five years or older.
Paediatrician Professor Abid Hossain Mollah said that pneumonia remains one of the leading causes of death among children under five in Bangladesh. Many children with measles eventually develop pneumonia, which is often the direct cause of death. He emphasised that good nutrition and breastfeeding, in addition to vaccination, play a vital role in protecting children.
All three experts agreed that more research is needed on measles, vaccine effectiveness, and the nutritional status of children. Mustafizur Rahman also suggested that including pregnant women in measles vaccination programs could be considered.
Other speakers at the seminar included Professor Arshad Mahmud Chowdhury, Pro Vice-Chancellor of BRAC University; Professor Aparna Islam, Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences; and Professor Nadia Sultana, Chair of the Department of Microbiology.
Four more children die
An additional four children with symptoms consistent with measles have died across the country. Authorities also reported 938 new suspected measles cases and 113 newly laboratory-confirmed cases.
Since 15 March, 693 children have died with measles-like symptoms, while 95 more died after laboratory confirmation of measles infection. In total, 788 children have died from confirmed or suspected measles during the same period.