SENATOR Pia Cayetano urged mothers to have their children vaccinated against vaccine-preventable diseases.

The senator said baseless claims against immunization that are posted by dubious sources on social media should be ignored.

“Listen to the doctors and the health workers to know what’s best for your children. It’s heartbreaking to lose a child. I’ve lost a child. So that has always been my message and it hasn’t changed. Basic yan: immunization,” she stressed.

“When I visit communities and speak with mothers, I raise important topics like vaccination for their children. It was on the news just the other day that cases of measles in our country are on the rise,” the senator said, citing a report from the Department of Health that measles cases increased by 339 percent as of May 20 this year.

“It breaks my heart whenever I hear about children dying of measles,” she said, adding that these deaths could have been prevented with routine vaccination.

“That’s why I always share my story to fellow mothers that I have also lost a child. My child had Trisomy 13. It’s very rare and no medical intervention can save the life of a child with this condition. But for measles and polio, there are medical interventions that can save a life,” she added.