(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday, Feb. 15, urged parents to have their children vaccinated for measles.
The President made the brief statement over PTV-4, amid a measles outbreak declared in some parts of the country, including Metro Manila, where the number of measles cases reached 196 from Jan. 1 to 19.
“Mga kababayan, dumadami ang kaso ng tigdas at ang komplikasyon nito ay mamatay ka. Sa mga anak natin, bakuna lamang ang tanging paraan [para]makaiwas sa sakit na ito,” Duterte said.
The Department of Health earlier attributed the outbreak to the lower number of parents having their children vaccinated due to the Dengvaxia controversia.
The DOH achieved a 70 to 80 percent vaccination rate in 2016 and 2017, but in 2018, the agency only posted a vaccination coverage of 40 percent.
The DOH had recommended mandatory vaccination to address the outbreak, but the Palace ruled out this option.