Taipei, July 20 (CNA) Appointments for COVID-19 vaccination later this week may be rescheduled if necessary, as a tropical storm approaches Taiwan, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Tuesday.

Tropical Storm In-Fa is forecast to brush past northern Taiwan some time between Thursday and Saturday, which means some COVID-19 vaccination sites may be closed on those days.

If the storm disrupts the vaccination appointments, the people affected will be notified via text messaging and advised to reschedule, said Health and Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung, who heads the CECC.

Meanwhile, the 1.53 million individuals who had registered July 13 -19 on the government website for COVID-19 vaccination began receiving text messages Tuesday morning to make appointments, according to the online service provider, Trade-Van Information Services Co.

Between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tuesday, a total of 752,610 people had made appointments, Trade-Van Information Services data showed.

The appointments in the current round must be made by Thursday noon, via the online vaccination booking system or at pharmacies and convenience stores, and only AstraZeneca shots are available at this time, according to the CECC.