People wearing face masks walk on a street in Buenos Aries, Argentina, on July 12, 2020. (Photo by Martin Zabala/Xinhua)

 
The president of Argentina, Alberto Fernandez, said Friday that having a vaccine against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) will allow the country to better tackle a second wave of infections.

Argentina could face a second wave of outbreaks, he warned, but the country should by then have the "advantage" of being able to count on a vaccine.

"That will allow us to face that second wave better armed and with 25 percent of the population immunized," the president told local media.

Between January and February next year, Argentina expects to have the necessary doses to vaccinate 10 million people, initially "healthcare workers, security personnel, teachers, all those over 65, and those between 18 and 64 with a prevalent disease," Fernandez said.

His administration is holding negotiations with developers of vaccines in different countries, he said.

The South American country registered its first case of COVID-19 on March 3, and registered 1,399,431 cases and 37,941 deaths from the disease as of Thursday.