Gov't postpones 2nd round of national vax drive in 11 regions due to 'Odette'
The conduct of the second leg of the national vaccination drive in some regions in the country will be postponed due to a weather disturbance that is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Tuesday, Dec. 14.

In an advisory, the Department of Health (DOH) said that the second round of the national vaccination drive in 11 regions will be moved to Dec. 20 to 22 instead of Dec. 15 to 17.
These regions are: Bicol, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, Soccsksargen, Caraga, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
The tropical storm with international name "Rai" is expected to enter the PAR on Tuesday evening and will be renamed "Odette," said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). Odette is expected to make a landfall in Caraga or Western Visayas.
Meanwhile, the national vaccination drive will push through on Dec. 15 to 17 in Cordillera Administrative Region, National Capital Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon.
"We will still have the same targets. We will have seven million targetted individuals to be vaccinated for these national vaccination days. So kahit na delay or na rescheduled tayo to next week (So even if there is a delay or we reschedule the event) in other regions, the targets will be the same," said DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire during the Malacanang press briefing on Tuesday, Dec. 14.
"If you remember, we reached at least 9.9 million during the first national vaccination days last Nov. 29 to Dec. 1. So, sana ipakita natin uli ang ating spirit of bayanihan with this coming second phase of our national vaccination days para maabot natin yung ating (So, hopefully we will show our spirit of bayanihan again during the second phase of our national vaccination days so that we can reach our) target of seven million and we can vaccinate those who are still unvaccinated in our population," she added.