The government plans to introduce a million doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine starting later this month. 

Yang Dong-gyo, a senior official of the government’s task force on COVID-19 vaccination program, said on Tuesday that a half million doses will be shipped starting March 22 and another half million from March 29. 

The doses are part of a government deal that South Korea signed with the pharmaceutical company. 

The country brought in its first shipments of around 120-thousand Pfizer vaccine shots last month, supplied through the UN-backed global COVAX facility initiative. 

The official said additional six million vaccine doses to be procured through the direct deal with Pfizer are expected to arrive in the second quarter of the year.