Duterte urges parents to let children receive measles vaccine

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has appealed to parents to have their children vaccinated against measles following outbreaks of the disease across the country.

In a televised statement, Duterte said the only way to fight the measles outbreak is to have children, especially those from six months to two-years-old, vaccinated.

According to the country's Department of Health (DOH) data, 70 people, mostly children, have died in Metro Manila alone.

Officials said more than 100,000 people have come forward over the last four weeks to get vaccinated. However, it accounts to only 23 per cent of the 450,000 target that the health department aims to complete over the next few months.