Deadly measles outbreak in Bangladesh fuels concern over risks for U.S.

World Why a deadly, massive measles outbreak in Bangladesh has some U.S. health experts concerned By Simon Ellery Updated on: May 20, 2026 / 11:31 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google A measles outbreak in Bangladesh that has killed almost 400 people is spreading fast, and health experts say it could carry risks even for the U.S., where cases of the disease are already at levels not seen in decades as vaccination rates continue to fall.Most of those killed by the measles outbreak in Bangladesh in recent weeks have been children. The country's Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) says the number of suspected cases has surged to over 56,000, with regional media outlets saying many hospitals across the country are overwhelmed. That number of suspected cases has more than doubled since the beginning of April.CBS News has asked Bangladesh's public health minister Dr. M A Muhit to comment on the country's handling of the outbreak, but there was no response from his office by the time of publication.Local news outlets have shown images of overcrowded hospitals, with some patients receiving treatment on floors due to a lack of beds. Aid agencies report that many of the infected are children who were either too young to be vaccinated or were only partially vaccinated. Children infected with measles receive treatment at a city corporation hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, May 8, 2026. Maruf Rahman/NurPhoto/Getty "There has been a change in the vaccine supply by the government, which has led to delays and a three-year immunity gap," Miguel Mateos Muñoz, with the United Nations children's charity UNICEF in Bangladesh, told CBS News. "To be effective there should be two doses of the vaccine, but we are seeing children who have received either only one dose of the vaccine or no vaccine at all."What is measles and why is it dangerous?Measles is among the most contagious viruses in the world. It is spread human-to-human relatively easily, most often by droplet...