GENEVA – 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.
“We are grateful for this offer, which is in the true Olympic spirit of solidarity,” IOC president Thomas Bach said.
Japan's vaccination rollout has been relatively slow despite the upcoming Tokyo Games.
Distribution will be through international agencies or existing vaccine agreements countries have with China, Bach said.
China, where the COVID-19 outbreak emerged in late 2019, has actively engaged in vaccine diplomacy, using doses developed by Sinovac and Sinopharm.