Pfizer and BioNTech will donate doses of their COVID-19 vaccines in order to inoculate athletes and delegations preparing for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, Pfizer announced Thursday.
“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,” Thomas Bach, the president of the IOC, said in a statement.
Delivery of doses will begin this month, in the hopes that participants will be fully vaccinated by the time the games begin on July 23.
“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,” Bach continued. “By taking the vaccine, they can send a powerful message that vaccination is not only about personal health, but also about solidarity and consideration of the wellbeing of others in their communities.”
While the IOC already struck a deal in March to utilize Chinese COVID-19 vaccines ahead of the Tokyo Games and the Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022, the deal with Pfizer allows for greater coverage and flexibility, as most of the world has not yet authorized use of the vaccines from China.
“The return of the Olympic and Paralympic Games represents a monumental moment of world unity and peace after a grueling year of isolation and devastation. We are proud to play a role in providing vaccines to athletes and national Olympic delegations,” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement.
Bourla offered to donate the doses following a conversation with Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
“This year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games are an historic moment representing the global community and how we stand together,” said Dr. Ugur Sahin. “We are honored to be able to contribute vaccines to support the safety of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Vaccinations are not mandatory to participate in the games, the IOC said, and “any vaccination program must be conducted in full respect of national vaccination priorities.”
The doses will be provided to athletes in addition to supply agreements with world governments, Pfizer specified, and does not impact existing distribution deals to countries worldwide.
