Pfizer and BioNTech to Inoculate Athletes and Delegations with COVID-19 Shots

In a recent announcement, U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and German biotech company BioNTech have stated that they are signing a memorandum of understanding with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to donate doses of their COVID-19 vaccine to inoculate athletes and other delegations who are participating in the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

The drugmakers have said that they will start supplying vaccines by the end of this month so that athletes and delegations can complete their vaccinations by opening the games in late July. The International Olympics Committee is expected to discuss the matter with national Olympic committees worldwide and provide vaccines as needed. It is up to states to offer immunization to athletes and delegations, as per the local guidance, before traveling to Japan for the Tokyo games.

The IOC and the International Paralympics Committee have said that vaccination is not mandatory for athletes to participate and that any vaccination program must be conducted in full respect of national vaccination priorities. Also, the host nation Japan has signed a contract with Pfizer for about 144 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, sufficient to inoculate 72 million people.