The COVID-19 vaccine by Novavax will start rolling out from mid-February.

The state vaccine task force said Friday that preparations were going smoothly to begin the administration of the protein-based vaccine produced by local firm SK bioscience.

The vaccine is distributed in disposable syringes containing one dose each for those who are aged 18 or older. The interval between doses stands at 21 days. 

Authorities will first use the Novavax vaccine for high-risk groups. Same-day vaccinations from reservations made using social media apps are also possible for those who have yet to be inoculated.

A task force official said standards on mix-and-match options will also be established to apply to exceptional cases where using mRNA vaccines for the second or third shot is difficult for medical reasons.