PEDIATRIC VAX. Sixteen-year-old Eldrick Miguel de los Reyes gets the Covid-19 jab during the rollout of the pediatric vaccination program at the Angel Salazar Memorial General Hospital in San Jose de Buenavista on Friday (Nov. 5, 2021). The rollout was witnessed by Department of Health Western Visayas assistant director Helen Tobias (left) with Governor Rhodora J. Cadiao standing beside her.(PNA photo by Annabel Consuelo J. Petinglay) SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique - A health executive in Western Visayas has called on parents with children aged 12 years to 17 years "not to miss the chance" for them to be protected against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH WV CHD) assistant director Helen Tobias made the call when Antique rolled out its Covid-19 pediatric vaccination at the Angel Salazar Memorial General Hospital (ASMGH) in San Jose de Buenavista on Friday. Tobias said the event was another milestone as the province seeks to protect children from Covid-19. Antique's Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) has been provided with Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for children. Antique Governor Rhodora J. Cadiao said the vaccination for pediatric vaccine recipients is also to prepare them for the face-to-face classes. In her message, she requested those who were the first to avail of their jabs to help health workers disseminate the information among their peers and classmates that there is now an ongoing vaccination for their age bracket. Among those who submitted to the vaccination were 16-year-old Eldrick de los Reyes, a Grade 10 pupil at the Antique National School, and 15-year-old Kyle Apostol, a Grade 10 pupil at Saint Anthony's College in San Jose de Buenavista. "I am now confident that I have my protection when our face-to-face classes begin," de los Reyes said in an interview right after their vaccination. Apostol encouraged her classmates and other youths to avail of the free vaccination. "Let us not be afraid to have Covid-19 vaccination," she said. In an interview, IPHO Nurse 4 Sheree Vego said they have pre-listed 80 children for Friday's inoculation, prioritizing those with co-morbidity. Starting November 8, the rollout in rural health units in 18 towns of the province will be open to all 12- to 17-year-olds willing to be vaccinated. "We are still in the process of coming up with the targeted number of pediatric for the Covid-19 inoculation in Antique," Vego added.(PNA) }