ULA vaccinates around 80,000 children against measles in Arakan State

By Admin 03 Jul 2026

DMG Newsroom

3 July 2026, Pauktaw

The Department of Public Health under the United League of Arakan (ULA) is providing measles-rubella vaccines free of charge to around 80,000 children under the age of five to prevent the spread of measles in Arakan State amid ongoing armed conflict.

The vaccination campaign is being led by officials from the ULA’s Department of Public Health and is being carried out in four townships: Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Rathedaung, and Pauktaw.

Officials said the programme has been launched as an emergency response due to a sharp rise in measles infections and deaths in neighbouring Bangladesh, which shares a border with Arakan State.

A ULA Department of Public Health official said measles is a highly contagious airborne disease that can affect people of all ages, and unvaccinated children face life-threatening risks if infected.

In addition to the measles-rubella vaccine, the ULA’s health department is also administering pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), oral polio vaccine (OPV), inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), and pentavalent vaccine (a five-in-one vaccine protecting against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B, and meningitis) in areas under Arakan Army control.

It is also conducting seasonal immunization programmes for BCG vaccine against tuberculosis and tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccine for pregnant women.

Apart from vaccinations, the department is also carrying out health education programmes, including disease surveillance in border areas, distribution of measles awareness pamphlets, and installation of educational billboards.

Medical data shows that two doses of the measles vaccine can prevent infection in up to 97 percent of cases.

According to Bangladesh’s health authorities, measles infections in the country reached 11,442 cases with 698 deaths between mid-March and June 25.