Stocks of six key vaccines, including Measles and Polio depleted

Bangladesh is facing a shortage of six essential childhood vaccines, including those for measles, polio and tuberculosis, raising concerns over child immunisation across the country.

Under the national immunisation programme, children from birth to 15 months receive nine types of vaccines to protect against 12 diseases. However, supplies of vaccines for measles-rubella, polio, tuberculosis, pneumonia, diphtheria-tetanus and hepatitis B have now been depleted.

Sources say the disruption began after the interim government cancelled the Operational Plan (OP) of the Directorate General of Health Services, causing immunisation activities to stall. As a result, vaccination coverage dropped, leaving many children in different parts of the country without essential protection.

To address the crisis, the government later approved a special allocation of around Tk10 billion for vaccine procurement, including Tk842 crore specifically for child immunisation. Authorities decided to procure vaccines both through direct purchase and open tender. However, bureaucratic delays and failure to complete the process during the interim period prolonged the shortage.

Professor Dr Zahid Raihan, Additional Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services, said vaccines were previously procured directly from UNICEF. Later, a decision was made to split procurement—half through UNICEF and half through open tender—leading to complications.

“A decision was made without keeping alternatives in place, and later changes created the current situation,” he said, adding that authorities are now considering returning to direct procurement to restore supply.

Meanwhile, a rise in measles infections has been reported nationwide, with the number of cases increasing daily along with related deaths, further intensifying concerns over the vaccine shortage.