DHAKA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Bangladeshi government has administered measles-rubella vaccines to nearly 20 million children, exceeding the initial vaccination target by about 10 percent, according to data released by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Monday.
When the South Asian country witnessed a measles outbreak in mid-March this year, the government launched an emergency vaccination program on April 5 covering 18 of the country's 64 districts.
The second phase of vaccination began on April 12 in four major city corporation areas, and the following phases commenced on April 20.
Bangladesh recorded 1,177 new suspected measles cases and eight more suspected measles deaths between 8 a.m. on Sunday and 8 a.m. on Monday, the country's health authority said on Monday.
The latest figures bring the total number of suspected measles cases to 172,720 and the suspected death toll to 1,030 since the outbreak began in mid-March. ■