A measles outbreak in Bangladesh killed more than 750 children, driven in part by a disruption in vaccine procurement after the country's interim government took power.
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At 3:27 · chapter starts 3:13
New UNICEF data offers a sobering snapshot of global health: 77% of infants worldwide were fully vaccinated against measles last year — a number that sounds promising but masks a catastrophic gap in Bangladesh [1] — Dore Baskaran "When Bangladesh's interim government decided to procure vaccines independently rather than through UNICEF — which distributes 2.2 billion d…" 03:13 . NPR's Dore Baskaran reports that when Bangladesh's interim government came to power in late 2024, it made the consequential decision to procure vaccines independently rather than through UNICEF, which normally distributes approximately 2.2 billion doses annually. UNICEF's global immunization chief Dr. Efrain Lemango explains that going outside the system almost always causes delays — and that is precisely what happened. The procurement effort ultimately failed, causing 'significant and extended stock cuts.' Some clinics ran out of the measles vaccine entirely. By the time the new government moved quickly to vaccinate children, the damage was done: more than 750 children had already died in the outbreak that followed. Lemango's implicit warning is clear — the UNICEF procurement system exists for exactly this reason, and bypassing it carries deadly risk.
UNICEF data shows 77% of infants globally were fully vaccinated against measles last year, leaving a significant gap that contributed to deadly outbreaks.
When Bangladesh's interim government decided to procure vaccines independently rather than through UNICEF — which distributes 2.2 billion doses a year — the attempt failed, clinics ran dry, and more than 750 children died in a measles outbreak. UNICEF's immunization chief says the delay was foreseeable and preventable.
UNICEF facilitates the purchase of approximately 2.2 billion vaccine doses per year for countries worldwide.
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