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Agence France-Presse

Australia is considering allowing its hundreds of Olympic athletes and support staff to jump the queue and get the coronavirus vaccine before heading to the Tokyo Games, a report said on Friday.
Earlier this month, the government in Canberra joined a growing number of countries halting the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for younger people over fears it can cause serious blood clots.
It slowed the national roll-out further, raising fears that the athletes could miss out as rival nations like the United States race ahead with inoculations for their Olympians in the face another wave of infections in Japan.
Minister for sport Richard Colbeck told broadcaster ABC that the government was in talks over whether to vaccinate Australian athletes and staff as a priority.
Tokyo Olympics must be ‘reconsidered’ due to Japan’s failure to contain pandemic, says report
“The government is in direct contact with the AOC (Australian Olympic Committee) over its proposal to priority vaccinate all Olympic team athletes and support staff,” he said.
The opening ceremony for the Olympics is scheduled for July 23, just over three months away. The AstraZeneca vaccine requires 12 weeks between doses, although the Pfizer one needs just 21 days.

But it has fallen far behind the government’s own schedule for vaccinations, with barely a million doses administered so far.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – 100 days till the Olympics that refuse to die
The AOC has previously insisted it does not want to jump the queue, but the slow pace of the roll-out has complicated matters with numerous athletes hoping to head overseas next month to fine-tune their preparations.
“(The vaccine) is very important ... in terms of looking after the health and well-being of athletes, and also giving them the confidence they’ve been vaccinated is very important to their performance,” AOC chief executive Matt Carroll told reporters this week.
IOC president Thomas Bach has said vaccination is not a requirement for athletes competing in Tokyo, but that Olympic officials would encourage participants to get the jab.
Athletes risk being barred from the Olympics if they contract Covid-19, ruining years of training and sacrifice.


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Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Tokyo 2020 Games: Australia could prioritise Olympic athletes for vaccine

Australai has started its countdown to the Tokyo Games and is now considering inoculating its athletes against Covid-19. Photo: AP

The Covid-19 vaccine roll-out in Australia has been relatively slow so authorities there are considering fast-tracking vaccinations for its Olympic athletes. Photo: AP

Athletes must wait in the vaccine queue, says World Athletics president Seb Coe

Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics, gives a video media interview in December. Photo: Kyodo

People wearing face masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus walk across an intersection in Tokyo on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike (R) attends a regular press conference at the metropolitan government headquarters on Dec. 11, 2020. Tokyo reported 595 new coronavirus cases, the second-highest daily total since the outbreak of the virus after the previous day's 602. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

epa08823298 International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach (R) arrives to meet with Japan's Prime Minister in Tokyo, Japan, 16 November 2020. EPA-EFE/KAZUHIRO NOGI / POOL

Tokyo 2020: prioritise athletes for vaccine so Olympic Games can go ahead, say IOC’s Dick Pound

Tokyo Games organisers passed the 200-day milestone last week. Photo: AP

(FILES) In this file photo taken on March 09, 2016 Former President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Dick Pound attends a Tackling Doping in Sport 2016 conference in London . - Senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) official Dick Pound said March 23, 2020 a postponement of this year's Tokyo Olympics is now inevitable as the world reels from the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)

Coronavirus: Australia asks European Commission to review Italy’s block on AstraZeneca vaccine

A health worker prepares a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine to be administered at a vaccination centre set up in Fiumicino, near Rome’s international airport, in February. Photo: AP

Sport

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Australia has fallen far behind the government’s schedule for vaccinations, with barely a million doses administered so far



Australia has fallen far behind the government’s schedule for vaccinations, with barely a million doses administered so far.


Coronavirus pandemic: All stories

Australia

Tokyo 2020 Games: Australia could prioritise Olympic athletes for vaccine

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} Australia has fallen far behind the government’s schedule for vaccinations, with barely a million doses administered so far

Australia has fallen far behind the government’s schedule for vaccinations, with barely a million doses administered so far