IOC and China make vaccine deal for Tokyo, Beijing Olympians

<p>GENEVA &mdash; The International Olympic Committee and China have teamed up to offer vaccines to athletes and teams preparing for the upcoming games in both Tokyo and Beijing.</p>
<p>The collaboration with Chinese Olympic officials was announced Thursday during an online IOC meeting.</p>
<p>“We are grateful for this offer, which is in the true Olympic spirit of solidarity,” IOC president Thomas Bach said.</p>
<p>Bach said the IOC would “pay for extra doses” for Olympic and Paralympic participants. </p>
<p>Japan’s <a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-covid-19-vaccinations-olympics-1d146ac28b1241845bc5defe7f090536">vaccination rollout</a> has been relatively slow despite the upcoming Tokyo Games. It was launched in February, months after other major countries.</p>
<p>The Tokyo Olympics are set to open on July 23, and the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing are scheduled for February.</p>
<p>Heading off concerns that athletes might jump the line to get vaccinated, Bach said extra doses for the general public will be given to countries taking part in the program.</p>
<p>“The IOC will pay for two doses more, which can be made available for the population in the respective country according to their needs,” Bach said.</p>
<p>Distribution will be through international agencies or existing vaccine agreements countries have with China, Bach said.</p>
<p>China, where the COVID-19 outbreak emerged in late 2019, has actively engaged in vaccine diplomacy, using doses developed by Sinovac and Sinopharm.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-vaccines-worldwide-0382aefa52c75b834fbaf6d869808f51">Research by The Associated Press</a> this month showed China has pledged about a half billion doses of its vaccines to more than 45 countries.</p>
<p>Bach said the agreement with China would help fulfil promises to Olympic organizers and competitors that the games will be staged safely.</p>
<p>He said the project was "our demonstration of solidarity with the Japanese people for whom we have such high respect and whom we hold in such high regard.”</p>
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<p>AP Olympics: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/olympic-games">https://apnews.com/hub/olympic-games</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Sports">https://twitter.com/AP_Sports</a></p>