Tokyo Olympics: Australians fast-tracked in vaccination queue

Relieved Olympic and Paralympic athletes will receive COVID-19 vaccinations before heading to Tokyo – but the preferential treatment has raised eyebrows.

Australia’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes have refuted suggestions they are jumping the queue after the federal government announced all competitors and support heading to Tokyo this year will be vaccinated.

The decision by the national cabinet means around 2050 Australians will now be guaranteed protection from Covid-19 when they travel to Japan for the Games this year.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said the government had agreed that team members — who are mostly under the age of 50 — would be moved up to priority group 1b, which is primarily for health care workers and the elderly but also includes “critical and high risk workers”.

Minister Hunt said the Australian team, including support staff, would be given immediate access to supplies of both Pfizer and AstraZeneca, depending on their ages.

“We want to see our athletes head to Tokyo to compete and then return to Australia safely,” Minister Hunt said.

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Tokyo bound athletes will be given immediate access to supplies of both Pfizer and AstraZeneca, depending on their ages.

The decision brings Australian athletes into line with what most other countries around the world are already doing with athletes from the United States, China, Russia, Britain, Germany, France, Israel and even New Zealand among those who have received their shots.

Federal Sports Minister Richard Colbeck said Australia’s athletes should have the same chances as their foreign competitors.

“While vulnerable Australians remain an absolute priority as the vaccine rollout continues, national cabinet understands the pressure our high-performance athletes have been facing as the Tokyo Games draw closer,” he said.

“This will be a very different Olympics and Paralympics, but our athletes deserve the opportunity to compete.”

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has welcomed the government’s decision after lobbying Canberra to make a decision before it was too late.

With less than three months to go before the Opening Ceremony for the Tokyo Olympics, athletes were becoming increasingly anxious about whether they would get their jabs in time.

For some, it was already game over too with up to nine members of the national diving team ruled out of Tokyo because they didn’t get vaccinated in time for the Olympic qualifiers.

AOC chief executive Matt Carroll said confirmation of the vaccination rollout would come as a massive relief to athletes.

High jumper Nicola McDermott (middle) during an announcement of the Australian track and field team for the Tokyo.

“There will be hundreds of very grateful athletes, coaches and their families relieved to know that their hard work over five years has been worth it. This added layer of assurance is what they were seeking,” Carroll said.

“We understand the enormous effort being undertaken by our Japanese hosts and the IOC to provide an appropriate environment by Games time. Testing before the team leaves, on arrival in Japan and throughout the Games. And now we will have the vaccine.”

Tim Walsh, coach of the Australian Sevens Rugby team, said his players hoped they would get immunised in time and he hoped all Australians would understand why it was important that the team went to Tokyo and competed safely.

“Sport provides so many positive aspects in life and you see the impact that the Olympics has in uniting the world,” he said.

“Within this time of suffering, I think we can provide a real positive outlook and a sign to the world that we‘re moving forward and we’re going to get through this.”

Originally published as Tokyo Olympics: Australians fast-tracked in vaccination queue