Laussane: Vaccine developers Pfizer and BioNTech will donate doses to inoculate athletes and officials preparing for the Tokyo Olympics. This information was given by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Friday. Delivery of doses is set to begin this month to give Olympic delegations time to be fully vaccinated with a second shot before they arrive for the Tokyo Olympics. The Games begin July 23.
It’s the second major vaccination deal for the IOC. An agreement was announced in March between the IOC and Olympic officials in China to buy and distribute Chinese vaccines ahead of the Tokyo Games. The same will be done ahead of next year’s Beijing Winter Games.
The new Pfizer offer gives the IOC greater coverage worldwide ahead of Tokyo. However, most countries are yet to authorise emergency use of Chinese vaccines.
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“We are inviting athletes and participating delegations of the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games to lead by example. They have been requested to accept the vaccine where and when possible,” IOC president Thomas Bach said in a statement.
The Pfizer donation followed talks between the firm’s chairman and CEO, Albert Bourla, and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
“Following this conversation, the Japanese government had a meeting with the IOC. Now the donation plan has been realised,” Pfizer said in a statement.
The IOC said any vaccination programme must be done ‘in accordance with each country’s guidelines and consistent with local regulations’.
The IOC-China vaccine deal includes two doses being made available to the general public for each dose received by an Olympic participant in that country.
The Spanish Olympic Committee said Thursday the nearly 600 members of its delegation traveling to Japan will start being vaccinated with Pfizer doses this month. Other countries, including Australia, South Korea and Italy, have also been making arrangements to vaccinate their teams.