The government says once a COVID-19 vaccine is developed, it will make preparations so that vaccinations can begin from the latter half of next year. 

Kwon Joon-wook, deputy director of the Central Quarantine Countermeasures Headquarters, unveiled the plan on Tuesday amid reports that U.S. pharmaceutical company Pfizer and German firm BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine candidate showed an over 90 percent efficacy rate.

Kwon said the government will likely be able to secure vaccines after the second quarter if it sets up various related systems. Such systems include securing vaccines via international organizations, monitoring side effects in other countries, revising and supplementing vaccination strategies with experts and securing a cold chain system. 

Kwon believes working-level preparations must be made for such goals. 

The government is currently pursuing a two-track strategy in securing COVID-19 vaccines through global cooperation and individual deals with global pharmaceutical companies.