Bangladesh has expanded its special measles-rubella (MR) vaccination campaign to four major city corporations starting Sunday, April 12, 2026. The program will cover both city corporations in Dhaka, as well as Mymensingh and Barishal City Corporations. According to the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), the campaign aims to vaccinate 1,219,957 children aged six months to five years in these urban areas. The nationwide rollout is scheduled to begin on April 20, 2026.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched the special vaccination drive on April 5, initially targeting 30 upazilas across 18 districts where measles infections were most severe. The campaign prioritizes regions with higher infection rates and includes all children aged six to 59 months, regardless of previous vaccination status. Vaccinations will be administered daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on weekly holidays.

Originally planned for May 3, the nationwide campaign start date was advanced to April 20 to accelerate measles prevention efforts across the country.