The Measles-Rubella (MR) Vaccination Campaign 2026 has been jointly launched at the divisional and district levels in Chattogram.
The campaign was inaugurated on Monday morning at S.M. Pilot High School field in Jungle Salimpur under Sitakunda upazila, a child aged 6–59 months was administered the vaccine as part of the opening ceremony.
The campaign was inaugurated by Additional Divisional Commissioner (Development) of Chattogram Division, Nusrat Sultana.
The inaugural ceremony was presided over by Divisional Director (Health) Dr. Sheikh Fazle Rabbi and attended by Chattogram District Civil Surgeon Dr. Jahangir Alam as a special guest, along with senior health officials, representatives of UNICEF, and the World Health Organization.
In her speech as chief guest, Additional Divisional Commissioner Nusrat Sultana said that vaccination is a landmark initiative by the government to protect children.
She urged the health department to work more responsibly to ensure that all children aged 6–59 months are brought under the MR vaccination program. She also called for vigilance against misinformation and rumours.
She said that children are increasingly suffering from various diseases due to malnutrition and other factors. Ensuring a balanced diet and a clean environment for children is therefore essential.
In his welcome speech, Divisional Health Director Dr. Sheikh Fazle Rabbi said that special vaccination programs have already been launched in several districts to control measles transmission. The nationwide campaign began on April 20 and will continue until May 10, excluding government holidays.
He said that in Chattogram Division, the target is to vaccinate around 42 lakhs children aged 6–59 months free of cost. The campaign will be conducted through 164 fixed centers and more than 24,000 vaccination sites. Multiple teams will also work in the field to ensure coverage.
Chattogram District Civil Surgeon Dr. Jahangir Alam said that the district has set a target of vaccinating 767,000 children. Among them, more than 151,000 are school-going children, while over 600,000 are from the community level.
Health officials said the MR vaccine is safe and effective. Although minor side effects may occasionally occur, they are not a cause for concern. They also noted that vaccination helps build herd immunity, which protects the entire community from disease outbreaks.
Speakers at the event called for increased publicity, public awareness, and collective efforts to ensure the success of the vaccination campaign and to prevent misinformation.
