Miguel Mateos Muñoz, UNICEF's spokesperson in Bangladesh, explained that the interim government delayed ordering vaccines last year while trying to restructure financing and vet new vendors, creating severe gaps in the national vaccine pipeline.
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"We were worried about possible [vaccine] gaps increasing, and it unfolding into what we're now seeing," Muñoz said.
Former health ministry official Syedur Rahman denied any internal shortages and claimed UN communications lacked specific outbreak warnings, stating that competitive procurement was intended to optimize long-term cost efficiency.
Families Struggle as Hospitals Overwhelmed
Mohammad Alam Mia, a parent, said his four-month-old son Arafat developed pneumonia and heart failure as complications from the virus after the family traveled 10 hours to secure an available hospital bed.
"We have been in the hospital for about 15 days now, but my baby isn't getting any better," he said.
Mosammat Nila Akhter, a bereaved mother, lost her 10-month-old daughter Maliha to pneumonia after being turned away from multiple facilities due to a critical shortage of intensive care beds.
The family had attempted to vaccinate Maliha in February but was told vaccine supplies had run out.
"Everything about her was wonderful," Akhter recalled.
Bangladesh Health Minister Sardar Sakhawat Hossain acknowledged the immense strain on local clinics but said the challenges were expected given the national population of more than 170 million people.
"The accommodation facilities are comparatively low, but we have managed," he said.
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Health workers also reported widespread shortages of EPI cards, tally books, and registers necessary to track childhood immunizations, further complicating field management operations.
