Health authorities expressed optimism Wednesday that the number who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine will surpass 14 million this week.

Hong Jeong-ik, head of inoculation management, told reporters the target could be reached on Thursday at the earliest.

South Korea has been speeding up the pace of inoculations, with hundreds of thousands of people getting shots on a daily basis.

The country announced on Tuesday that it had administered first doses to 13 million people, two weeks ahead of schedule.

Authorities aim to deliver shots to 36 million people by September, in the hopes of reaching herd immunity in November.

The government, meanwhile, has continued to stress the importance of public participation in the national vaccination drive.

Senior health ministry official Yoon Tae-ho acknowledged during a press briefing that as vaccinations increase, so do reports of side effects and fear.

Yoon said he was concered that trust in vaccines could dwindle, but stressed getting inoculated against the coronavirus is the only way to achieve the herd immunity goal and prevent the further spread of infections.