DHAKA, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Bangladeshi government has launched a nationwide special vaccination campaign as the country steps up efforts to contain the measles outbreak, which continues unabated.
Bangladeshi Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain inaugurated the campaign in Dhaka on Saturday with the aim of vaccinating 3.4 million children.
Earlier vaccination rounds that began in April have administered measles-rubella vaccines to 18.5 million children.
Bangladesh recorded 980 new suspected measles cases and three more suspected measles deaths between 8 a.m. on Friday and 8 a.m. on Saturday, the country's health authority said.
The latest figures bring the total number of suspected measles cases to 186,813 and the suspected death toll to 1,087 since the outbreak began in mid-March. ■
