The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Thursday that it
had struck deals with two companies for
coronavirus vaccine doses that will
allow a significant proportion of athletes and officials traveling to the Olympic
Games in
Tokyo this summer the opportunity to be vaccinated before they arrive
in
Japan.
اضافة اعلان
The committee announced the agreements with the companies,
Pfizer and BioNTech, to distribute donated doses of the vaccine to Olympic and
Paralympic Games participants in their home countries, where they would be
administered by local officials and through domestic vaccination programs.
The effort is the latest attempt by Olympic officials and
Japanese organizers to assuage the concerns of a skeptical Japanese public that
has consistently told pollsters that it does not want the Games to take place
during the pandemic. Only about 1 percent of the Japanese public is currently
fully vaccinated, and several areas, including Tokyo, are under restrictions
that have closed restaurants, bars and non-essential businesses.
Despite the new program, and an earlier announcement that the
IOC would buy doses of a Chinese vaccine and distribute them, there is still no
requirement that athletes, coaches, officials or others attending the Games
must be vaccinated before coming to Japan.
Skepticism about the Games remains high among the Japanese
public, and Olympic officials pointedly noted in their announcement that the
new program was an effort to address their concerns. The IOC’s news release
said the vaccination plan was developed “not only to contribute to the safe
environment of the Games, but also out of respect for the residents of Japan.”
“This donation of the vaccine is another tool in our toolbox of
measures to help make the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 safe and
secure for all participants, and to show solidarity with our gracious Japanese
hosts,” the IOC president Thomas Bach said in a statement.
In March, China had agreed to provide vaccines for Olympic
participants. But China’s vaccines are still not approved in many countries,
and several — including Japan — said they would not accept the offer.
Bach acknowledged that accepting the vaccine was still
voluntary, even as he urged competitors to take part. “We are inviting the
athletes and participating delegations of the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic
Games to lead by example and accept the vaccine where and when possible,” he
said.
Ugur Erdener, the chairman of the IOC’s Medical and Scientific
Commission, stressed the same point. “We see the importance of vaccination all
around the world,” he said. “We encourage the athletes and Games participants
to take the vaccine whenever possible. Vaccination is an important tool to
protect not only themselves, but also their communities.”
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