South Korea will use COVID-19 vaccines reserved for second doses to inoculate more first-time recipients in an effort to speed up its vaccination program.

In a vaccine-related briefing Wednesday, Yang Dong-gyo, a senior official at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA), said the option will be made available as long as there's no impact on administering the second shots.

South Korea has assigned two AstraZeneca doses per person to prevent delays experienced by other countries due to unexpected supply shortages. Yang added, if the supply is secure, there is no need to wait for the next batch and the reserves can be used.

The official noted that as the global vaccine supply is not yet stable, the government will continue to swiftly bring vaccines into the country and make the most efficient use of them.

Authorities have also expanded the interval between the first and second shots for the AstraZeneca vaccine to between eight and 12 weeks, in accordance with World Health Organization(WHO) recommendation.

South Korea will also decide on Wednesday whether to administer the AstraZeneca vaccine to seniors 65 and above.