Dhaka, March 31 -- The government has decided to launch a measles vaccination campaign in June next with a lowered age limit as the highly contagious disease spreads in Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chittagong, Khulna, and some other districts.

The government has also lowered the age limit in the measles vaccination campaign that is usually run every four years in the country outside the routine government vaccination drive. This vaccine is given to children up to five years of age.

However, age limits will not be changed for the routine vaccination drives, under which children aged between nine months and two years are given vaccines against 12 serious diseases, including measles, under the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI).

"We will launch...