Seven more children die with measles symptoms as Sylhet Division outbreak claims more lives

Seven more children have died with measles symptoms. The deaths were reported on Friday (23 October). The news has deepened anxiety across Sylhet Division, where a measles outbreak has been raging for several days in a row.

For days, reports of children dying after contracting measles have been coming in one after another from different districts of Sylhet Division. Alongside the haor wetlands and remote areas, case numbers are also said to be rising in urban neighbourhoods. The latest seven deaths have made that grim sequence heavier still.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease. Fever, cough, red eyes and a reddish rash on the body are its main symptoms. In children the illness can quickly become complicated, and the risk grows further when a child suffers from malnutrition or another illness.

Doctors say timely vaccination is the most effective protection against measles. A child vaccinated at the scheduled age gains almost complete protection from the disease. When an outbreak appears in an area, bringing children who missed their doses under vaccination coverage becomes urgent.

Health workers advise keeping an infected child isolated during an outbreak, ensuring enough rest and fluids, and taking the child to hospital quickly if symptoms worsen. Medical care should not be delayed if fever is accompanied by breathing difficulty, convulsions or extreme weakness.

Repeated child deaths in this outbreak in Sylhet Division have spread fear among parents. Many families now rush their children to hospital at the first sign of fever or rash, which is also increasing patient pressure on hospitals.

Local people allege that gaps in immunisation work in remote areas and a lack of awareness allowed the outbreak to spread so widely. They believe many children in the haor region did not receive their vaccines on time. No official statement from the authorities on these allegations was available yet.

Health specialists say treatment alone is not enough to control an outbreak; rapid surveillance, case detection and stronger vaccination drives are also needed. They advise identifying children who missed doses and vaccinating them through special campaigns.

Specialists urge parents to check their children's vaccination cards. If any dose was missed, they should complete it at the nearest health centre. Avoiding contact with infected children and not taking a sick child to crowded places are also advised.

The news of seven more child deaths has cast a shadow of grief across the division. All eyes are now on what emergency steps the administration and the health department take to bring the outbreak under control. Barlekha Today will keep bringing readers the latest on the situation.