Last Sunday, at the inauguration ceremony of the International Pharmaceutical Industry Fair at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center, Health Minister Sardar Sakhawat Hossain said in response to journalists’ questions, “Measles vaccines were administered eight years ago, and none have been given since then.”

The context of the minister’s statement was the recent rise in measles cases and the initiative to procure new vaccines.
There has been considerable discussion and criticism of the minister’s remarks on social media.

Data shows vaccination was not halted. According to the government’s Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), the vaccination rate—including measles—for children aged 12 months ranged from a minimum of 89per cent to over 103per cent between 2017 and 2023. The lowest rate, 89.4 per cent, was recorded in 2018, while the highest—103.6 per cent—was in 2022. However, in 2024 the rate declined to 86.6 per cent, and last year (2025) it dropped significantly to 59.6 per cent. This means that the routine immunization program was ongoing and maintained high coverage at least until 2023.

An important distinction here is between routine immunisation (EPI) and large-scale campaigns. Experts say the minister may have been referring to large-scale campaigns, but presenting it as “no vaccines were given” is misleading. Moreover, a nationwide large-scale campaign did take place in December 2020, when measles and rubella vaccinations were administered across the country. So even if the minister was referring to campaigns, that claim would still be inaccurate.

However, just yesterday (Monday), the minister again said, “There was a campaign in 2018, and no campaign has taken place since. The current measles cases we are seeing—this outbreak is more severe among those who are not vaccinated.”