Accessibility links Skip to main content Keyboard shortcuts for audio player Open Navigation Menu --> Newsletters NPR Shop Close Navigation Menu Home News Expand/collapse submenu for News National World Politics Business Health Science Climate Race Culture Expand/collapse submenu for Culture Books Movies Television Pop Culture Food Art & Design Performing Arts Life Kit Gaming Music Expand/collapse submenu for Music Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions Podcasts & Shows Expand/collapse submenu for Podcasts & Shows Daily Morning Edition Weekend Edition Saturday Weekend Edition Sunday All Things Considered Up First Here & Now NPR Politics Podcast Featured Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! Fresh Air Wild Card with Rachel Martin It's Been a Minute Planet Money Get NPR+ More Podcasts & Shows Search Newsletters NPR Shop Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions About NPR Diversity Support Careers Press Ethics More than 500 people have died in Bangladesh measles outbreak Bangladesh is scrambling to vaccinate more children amid a measles outbreak that has killed more than 500 people, most of them children. World More than 500 people have died in Bangladesh measles outbreak May 28, 20264:48 AM ET Heard on Morning Edition By Gabrielle Emanuel More than 500 people have died in Bangladesh measles outbreak Listen · 2:02 2:02 Transcript Toggle more options Download Embed Embed "> <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5836674/nx-s1-9788174" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript Bangladesh is scrambling to vaccinate more children amid a measles outbreak that has killed more than 500 people, most of them children. Sponsor Message
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
There are more than 67,000 suspected cases of measles in Bangladesh. More than 500 people have died. Most are young children. Experts worry that families traveling during a school break this week will help the virus spread. Here's NPR's Gabrielle Emanuel.
GABRIELLE EMANUEL, BYLINE: Mohammad Kamal Hossain, a rickshaw driver in Southern Bangladesh, isn't traveling. He's beside the hospital bed of his 9-month-old daughter.
MOHAMMAD KAMAL HOSSAIN: (Speaking Bangla).
EMANUEL: He says she spiked a fever that hasn't improved for 20 days. It turned out to be measles, and she soon developed a common complication - pneumonia. The family rushed the youngster to the capital to get medical care, and now they're in debt. The stage was set for this outbreak in 2024 when the interim government decided to overhaul the country's successful vaccine program. Bureaucratic issues meant soon measles vaccines became unavailable. Speaking at a press conference, Rana Flowers with the United Nations Children's Fund says she warned the government.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
RANA FLOWERS: I sat with the interim adviser and the staff on at least 10 occasions, saying, we are worried. Look at my face. I am worried.
EMANUEL: And in March, measles cases exploded across the country. Now the U.N. and others say many hospitals are overwhelmed, with patients getting care on the floor and others being turned away for lack of beds, staff and medications. But in February, Bangladesh elected a new government, and they've earned widespread praise for their response. Hasina Rahman is with the International Rescue Committee.
HASINA RAHMAN: There's been a massive immunization campaign. And, over the past four weeks, 18 million children have been immunized.
EMANUEL: Still, experts say it will take another month or so before this campaign might bring down the number of sick and dying kids.
Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR News. Copyright © 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Facebook Flipboard Email Read & Listen Home News Culture Music Podcasts & Shows Connect Newsletters Facebook Instagram Press Public Editor Corrections Transcripts Contact & Help About NPR Overview Diversity NPR Network Accessibility Ethics Finances Get Involved Support Public Radio Sponsor NPR NPR Careers NPR Shop NPR Extra Terms of Use Privacy Your Privacy Choices Text Only Sponsor Message Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor (function () { var loadPageJs = function () { (window.webpackJsonp=window.webpackJsonp||[]).push([[22],{1169:function(e,n,c){e.exports=c(321)},321:function(e,n,c){"use strict";c.p=NPR.serverVars.webpackPublicPath,Promise.all([c.e(1),c.e(2),c.e(3),c.e(4),c.e(82)]).then(function(e){c(3),c(1141),c(116),c(95),c(52),c(491),c(240),c(102),c(104),c(1142),c(144),c(1143),c(239),c(48),c(1144)}.bind(null,c)).catch(c.oe)}},[[1169,0]]]); }; if (document.readyState === 'complete') { loadPageJs(); } else { window.addEventListener('load', function load() { window.removeEventListener('load', load, false); loadPageJs(); }); } })();