Health authorities in Bangladesh put the measles-linked death toll at 1,201 on Oct. 19, after five additional children died with measles-like symptoms during the ongoing outbreak.
The Directorate General of Health Services, part of the Health Ministry, said 104 of the reported deaths were confirmed measles cases. New infections included 1,307 suspected and 35 confirmed cases, health authorities said.
Bangladesh has recorded more than 214,000 suspected cases since mid-March, when the outbreak was first reported, and more than 23,000 confirmed infections, Anadolu Agency reported.
Anadolu Agency also reported that declining vaccination coverage in recent years had eroded Bangladesh's previous herd immunity against measles. The Health Ministry has immunized more than 20 million children through special programs since April, alongside routine vaccinations.
