Canadian athletes and officials applauded ThursdayB次元官网网址檚 news that Pfizer and BioNTech are donating COVID-19 doses to inoculate athletes and officials preparing for the Tokyo Games.
The Olympics and Paralympics are happening, they said. TheyB次元官网网址檒l be far safer for everyone if participants are vaccinated.
B次元官网网址淏efore the vaccine roll-out, I was quite worried from a global standpoint, the Olympics are bringing in thousands and thousands of people, and it looked like it was going to be a COVID petri dish,B次元官网网址� said Erica Gavel, a member of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 womenB次元官网网址檚 wheelchair basketball team. B次元官网网址漀ow it looks like things are moving in the right direction, to say the least.B次元官网网址�
The Canadian Olympic Committee said it believes it will have access to donated vaccine doses from Pfizer and BioNTech as part of an IOC initiative. Delivery of doses is set to begin this month to give Olympic delegations time to be fully vaccinated with a second shot before arriving in Tokyo for the Games, which open on July 23.
David Shoemaker, CEO and secretary-general of the COC, says his organization will work with government agencies to confirm details of the roll-out.
B次元官网网址淲e were happy to learn from the IOC that Pfizer and BioNTech will donate vaccine doses for Tokyo 2020 Games participants. In Canada this represents approximately 1,100 people and will add an important layer of protection for Canadian athletes in the lead up to and during the Games,B次元官网网址� Shoemaker said in a statement.
B次元官网网址淭he Olympic Games hold special meaning for the millions of Canadians who will be inspired by the resilience and determination of Canadian athletes this summer in Tokyo. As most provinces begin vaccination of the general population, this announcement will help more Canadians receive vaccinations quicker.B次元官网网址�
The COC had steadfastly said Canadian athletes wouldnB次元官网网址檛 jump the vaccine cue.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 fantastic news,B次元官网网址� said Athletics CanadaB次元官网网址檚 CEO David Bedford. B次元官网网址滱thletes are so thrilled to put Canada on their chest and represent all of us, that we owe them an obligation to try and keep them safe.B次元官网网址�
ItB次元官网网址檚 unknown how many Canadian athletes would benefit from this initiative. The COCB次元官网网址檚 chief medical officer, Dr. Mike Wilkinson, told The Canadian Press last week that with the pace of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 vaccine roll-out, he expected the entire team to have received at least the first vaccine dose before Tokyo. Alberta, for example, is booking vaccines for people aged 12 and up starting Monday.
Olympic wrestling champion Erica Wiebe tweeted a photo Thursday of her first dose appointment secured B次元官网网址� independent of the IOCB次元官网网址檚 program. Other athletes have been able to access first doses elsewhere in Canada, while numerous Canadian athletes and coaches have been vaccinated while competing or training in the U.S.
CanadaB次元官网网址檚 menB次元官网网址檚 field hockey captain Scott Tupper, who received his jab through work B次元官网网址� heB次元官网网址檚 an assistant coach at Lafayette College in Easton, Penn. B次元官网网址� said ThursdayB次元官网网址檚 news was B次元官网网址済reat to hear.
B次元官网网址淚 think that anyone who believes in the Olympic Games and wants to see a successful event take place, agrees that vaccine access for competing athletes B次元官网网址� Canadian and otherwise B次元官网网址� is a positive step towards all nations coming together this summer in the safest way possible,B次元官网网址� he said.
The IOC has said athletes do not have to be vaccinated for the Games. As of Thursday, 3.1 per cent of the Canadian population had been fully vaccinated.
The prospect of athletes jumping the cue is a hot-button topic in Canada, particularly while a third wave is ravaging parts of the country. The response on social media Thursday was overwhelmingly negative, with tweets about B次元官网网址減rivileged athletesB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渕isplaced priorities.B次元官网网址�
Race walker Evan Dunfee said itB次元官网网址檚 unfair to attack athletes, B次元官网网址渓ike we had anything to do with this.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚f people want to be mad they should be mad at the IOC and these mega-medical corporations. And no-one is getting outraged that the U.S. is vaccinating all their healthy people while people in India die,B次元官网网址� said Dunfee, a world bronze medallist.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not the best use of global supplies of vaccine. But the Olympics going ahead isnB次元官网网址檛 smart either. At the end of the day, that the athletes are being held responsible in the eyes of some in the public, is incredibly disheartening to me.B次元官网网址�
Bedford pointed out the Olympic vaccines would be incremental to what the pharmaceutical companies are delivering to countries.
B次元官网网址淎nybody who says they should donate them to India or teachers, I get it, I would not argue with that. I understand, itB次元官网网址檚 very personal. But I also believe that these athletes and the support staff is protected. And fortunately, the good news is that Pfizer and BioNTech have said this isnB次元官网网址檛 coming out of any allocations to countries.B次元官网网址�
Swimming CanadaB次元官网网址檚 high-performance director and national coach John Atkinson said he welcomed the news.
B次元官网网址淟etB次元官网网址檚 leave nothing to chance,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淗aving a fully vaccinated team, along with all the well thought out protocols from the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee, makes complete sense to me.B次元官网网址�
Anti-Games sentiments, meanwhile, have been gaining ground in Japan, where just under two per cent of the population has been vaccinated. Almost 80 per cent of Japanese citizens in polls say they want the Olympics cancelled or postponed, and a petition titled B次元官网网址淐ancel the Tokyo Olympics to protect our livesB次元官网网址� has quickly gained tens of thousands of signatures.
Paralympic sprinter Marissa Papaconstantinou said vaccinating athletes benefits not only the Canadian team and their respective communities theyB次元官网网址檇 be returning home to after the Games, but countries that donB次元官网网址檛 have the same access to vaccines, and the people of Japan, who will play host to some 15,000 athletes from more than 200 countries.
B次元官网网址淵ou have an Olympic village with thousands of people living in like close quarters, it could be a recipe for disaster if a large chunk of people werenB次元官网网址檛 vaccinated,B次元官网网址� said Papaconstantinou, who is doing a required quarantine in Toronto after returning home from San Diego.
B次元官网网址淭hese Games are happening regardless of if everyoneB次元官网网址檚 vaccinated or not.B次元官网网址�
She pointed out the Japanese are already reeling in the economic fallout of hosting a postponed Games without the level of tourism they would have benefited from.
B次元官网网址淎t least they wonB次元官网网址檛 have to worry about also dealing with COVID outbreaks, hopefully,B次元官网网址� she said.
ItB次元官网网址檚 the second major vaccination deal for the International Olympic Committee. 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 and next yearB次元官网网址檚 Beijing Winter Games.
The new Pfizer offer gives the IOC greater coverage worldwide ahead of Tokyo with most countries B次元官网网址� including Canada B次元官网网址� yet to authorize emergency use of Chinese vaccines.
B次元官网网址淲e 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,B次元官网网址� IOC president Thomas Bach said in a statement.
The Pfizer donation followed talks between the firmB次元官网网址檚 chairman and CEO, Albert Bourla, and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
The IOC said any vaccination program must be done B次元官网网址渋n accordance with each countryB次元官网网址檚 vaccination guidelines and consistent with local regulations.B次元官网网址�
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 travelling 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.
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