United News of Bangladesh

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain on Wednesday said 9.5 crore doses of 10 types of vaccine including MR (Measles-Rubella) vaccine will be brought to Bangladesh with support from UNICEF to strengthen the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI). He made the announcement while talking to reporters at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport after receiving a vaccine shipment. The minister said the EPI programme launched in 1979 has been running regular vaccination activities against 12 preventable infectious diseases to protect children and women. Bangladesh has been recognised as a “Vaccine Hero” by Gavi for the programme’s success, he added. Citing joint research by the Ministry of Health and UNICEF, he said EPI vaccinations prevent around one lakh child deaths and nearly 50 lakh illnesses annually in Bangladesh. The minister alleged that some wrong decisions by the previous interim government affected the internationally recognised programme, but said the current government has given top priority to EPI as it is directly linked to saving children’s lives. He said an earlier decision to procure vaccines through open tender was cancelled within two weeks of the government taking office. Later, the government requested UNICEF to supply vaccines and promptly paid the required funds. The minister said the government has already paid $83.6 million to UNICEF for the procurement of 95 million doses of 10 types of vaccines. Following payments on April 9 and 17, 2026, UNICEF delivered the first shipment of 15.5 lakh doses of IPV vaccine on May 3. Another shipment of 15 lakh doses of MR and TD vaccines (90,000 vials) was delivered on May 6. Around 1.8 crore more doses of MR, TD, BCG, TCV, bOPV and pentavalent vaccines are expected to arrive by May 10, he said. UNICEF plans to complete full delivery by September, 2026, he added. The minister said that the government has planned vaccine procurement for 15 months covering fiscal year 2026–27, including a three-month buffer stock, which will also be implemented through UNICEF. He said the country currently has sufficient stock of TCV and HPV vaccines for two years, and the new supply will ensure no shortage of other vaccines for the next 8–12 months. The cold chain system is being maintained from production to field level with technical support from UNICEF, including microplanning, training, awareness campaigns and real-time reporting, he said. Under the ongoing Measles-Rubella Vaccination Campaign 2026, 1.68 crore children have already been vaccinated as of May 5, achieving 93% coverage, and the country is moving towards 100% coverage, said the minister. The minister urged parents, community leaders, teachers and religious leaders to ensure that every child receives the MR vaccine to protect future generations from deadly diseases. He expressed gratitude to development partners including Gavi, UNICEF and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), saying coordinated efforts would further strengthen Bangladesh’s routine immunisation programme and protect all children from preventable diseases.