Bangladesh Begins Nationwide Typhoid Vaccination Drive for 50 Million Children

The government of Bangladesh has launched a nationwide typhoid vaccination campaign targeting 50 million children aged between nine months and 15 years.

The month-long campaign, which began on Sunday, October 12, was officially inaugurated in Dhaka by Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum. The initiative will provide free injectable typhoid vaccines across the country until November 13.

Bangladesh received the vaccine doses through support from the global vaccine alliance, Gavi, as part of efforts to curb the country’s high typhoid infection rates.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services, Bangladesh records significantly higher typhoid cases compared to many other nations. Data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 shows that nearly 500,000 people contract typhoid annually, resulting in around 8,000 deaths—with children accounting for 68 percent of these fatalities.

Health officials say the vaccination drive marks a major step toward reducing preventable child deaths and strengthening public health defenses against typhoid fever nationwide.