Starting Friday, about 926-thousand people in South Korea will be able to receive their second shots of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

According to the vaccination task force, the second round of AstraZeneca vaccinations will begin on Friday, with all eligible people to be inoculated by next month. 

These people who have received their first AstraZeneca shots since February include patients and staff at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities who are under 65. 

The AstraZeneca vaccine requires two shots for maximum protection, with the recommended interval between the first and second dose about eleven to 12 weeks. 

The inoculations are expected to pick up pace next week given the time needed for preparations at some nursing homes. 

Those under age 30 will also be eligible for the second shot if they received their first AstraZeneca jabs before the age limit was imposed on the vaccine over possible blood clot risks. The number of these people is estimated at 135-thousand, including some 22-thousand at nursing homes and long-term care facilities.