21-Day-Old Infant Contracts Measles; 15-Year-Old Mother Unvaccinated

A 21-day-old infant has been diagnosed with measles and is currently receiving treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute. The infant's mother is only 15 years old and has never received any vaccinations, including the measles vaccine. Hospital director Professor Mirza Md. Ziaul Islam expressed concern over such young children contracting measles, noting that it is unusual as infants typically acquire immunity from their mothers at birth. Routine measles vaccination begins at nine months of age with a second dose at 15 months. However, this year, numerous infants under nine months have been affected by measles, with some fatalities. The hospital has treated 2,021 children with measles this year, 390 of whom are under six months old. The mother and infant, whose names are being withheld, arrived from Gosairhat, Shariatpur district, on Saturday night. Medical professionals determined that the mother contracted measles ten days after giving birth, and subsequently, the infant became infected. Doctors suspect the infant contracted measles from the mother, who apparently did not pass on any immunity. Director Islam stated that the mother, born in 2011, should have received her measles vaccine the following year and that an investigation is needed to understand why she did not. He also emphasized the need to identify and hold accountable the civil surgeon responsible for Shariatpur at that time.