Another batch of the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Novavax will be supplied to South Korea on Friday.

South Korea's SK bioscience is manufacturing the protein-based vaccine created by the U.S. pharmaceutical company under a consignment agreement as a local partner.

According to the state vaccine task force, SK Bioscience sent out 551-thousand doses of the vaccine from its factory in Andong on Thursday, with another batch of 294-thousand doses to be shipped out on Friday.

Authorized for use by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety last month, the South Korean firm dispatched the first batch of 292-thousand doses on Wednesday.

The government has so far secured over 150 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine this year through contracts with individual companies or international organizations. It plans to acquire an additional 144 million doses by the end of the year.