A measles outbreak in Bangladesh has led to 15 confirmed deaths, officials said on Wednesday, as the government readies to launch an emergency immunization programmed as part of efforts to try to contain the disease.

Health Services Division Secretary Kamruzzaman Chowdhury said the deaths were confirmed after laboratory testing of 33 samples, conducted with support from the World Health Organization. “Of the tested samples, 15 deaths have been directly linked to measles infection,” he said.

Measles, among the most infectious of pathogens, requires that 95% of the population be vaccinated in order to prevent its spread.

It has been breaking out across the world as vaccination rates had fallen, although now many parents are rushing to get their children immunized and in some places pediatric hospital wards are overwhelmed.

EMERGENCY IMMUNIZATION DRIVE FROM SUNDAY

In Bangladesh, the government plans to launch an emergency nationwide immunization drive from Sunday, beginning with high-risk areas.

The outbreak has hit hardest in the northwestern Rajshahi region, where health authorities have stepped up surveillance and case-tracking.

The Directorate General of Health Services said unvaccinated children or those who have not completed the two-dose measles schedule face the greatest risk and that malnourished children are particularly prone to severe complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis.

They have urged parents to keep children’s routine vaccinations up to date and to seek medical care quickly if symptoms such as fever, cough, red eyes or a rash appear.

-Reporting by Ruma Paul; editing by Barbara Lewis/Reuters