Health Secretary Francisco Duque III recommended on Monday night the postponement of the second leg of the national vaccination drive in areas that will be affected by tropical storm Odette.

Odette, internationally known as Rai, is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Tuesday night and intensify to a typhoon on Wednesday, according to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

In Duque's recommendation, he wants the scheduled vaccination drive in the areas on the path of the storm to be pushed back to December 20 to 22.

"Nirekemonda na ang ating national vaccination part two ay ipopostpone muna natin dun sa mga dadaanan po ng bagyo from December 15, 16, 17 ay gagawin po natin sa December 20, 21, 22," he said.

"Ito pong dadaanan ng bagyo batay po sa mga pinakahuling ulat mula sa PAGASA ay posible po Northern Mindanao, Central and Eastern Visayas, at ang Southern Tagalog region ay hindi muna natin itutuloy ang bakunahan dahil kailangan natin mailayo sa peligro ang ating mga kababayan dahil sa bagyong Odette," he added.

(The possible areas on the storm’s path based on the latest report from PAGASA are Northern Mindanao, Central and Eastern Visayas, and the Southern Tagalog region. We will not push through with the vaccination drive because we need to our put people away from the danger of tropical storm Odette.)

However, the scheduled vaccination drive on Wednesday for in Northern and Central Luzon, as well as CALABARZON can push through as planned.

Its first vaccine drive was able to vaccinate 9.9 million Filipinos. It was held from November 29 to December 1, before later getting extended to December 3.