Pfizer and BioNTech will be providing COVID-19 vaccines to Olympic athletes participating in the summer games in Tokyo.
The companies, along with the IOC, will coordinate with National Olympic Committees around the world to address the local need for vaccines to allow delegations to participate in the games, the release states.Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto looks on as actor Satomi Ishihara and Paralympian Aki Taguchi light the celebration cauldron on the first day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch relay in Naraha, Japan, March 25, 2021.
Vaccination is not mandatory for athletes to participate in the games. Any vaccination program must be conducted in full respect of national vaccination priorities, according to the IOC and International Paralympics Committee.