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month, except on June 13, when admissions fell to 672, according to DGHS data.

The data showed that 1,016 patients with measles or measles-like symptoms were admitted to hospitals in the last 24 hours. So far, 57,902 patients, mostly children, have been hospitalised. Of them, 53,722 have been discharged, leaving 3,681 still undergoing treatment.

Daily cases have remained above 1,000 this month, with the only exception on June 13, when 733 suspected cases and 63 confirmed cases were recorded.

The number of deaths has remained below 10 a day since May 29, according to the data.

Public health expert Mushtuq Husain said measles cases were not declining for two main reasons: vaccination coverage may not have reached 95 percent in all areas, and infection prevention and control measures were not being properly followed in hospitals and communities.

He added that isolation and quarantine -- key measures in any epidemic -- had largely been ignored, despite being essential components of outbreak management.

Mushtuq further said the vaccination campaign target was largely set online from offices due to time constraints, which may have led to inaccurate planning. “As a result, many children may have remained unvaccinated.”

He stressed the need for a vaccination campaign targeting all children under five and a revised house-to-house microplanning approach to reduce infection rates.

“Deaths are still being reported regularly, leaving no room for complacency,” he said, warning that children who had contracted measles could face severe complications if they later became infected with dengue, as measles significantly weakens the immune system.

DGHS Director General Prof Pravath Chandra Biswas said the number of deaths, particularly confirmed deaths, had declined sharply following the vaccination campaign.

He added that the number of cases had also fallen in June compared to previous months and expressed hope that the situation would come under further control soon.