A day after China offered vaccine doses for participants for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, host Japan declined the offer. As per a report in news agency AP, Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa confirmed the development and stated that Japan has not been consulted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in this regard. The report further mentioned that the vaccine has not been approved for use in Japan.
"We have been taking comprehensive anti-infectious disease measures for the Tokyo Games in order to allow participation without vaccinations," Marukawa was quoted as saying in the report.
The Tokyo Olympics, which was scheduled to be held last year, was postponed because of the novel coronavirus pandemic and will now take place from July 23 to August 8.
“The IOC has received a kind offer from the Chinese Olympic Committee, hosts of the 2022 Beijing winter Olympics, to make additional vaccine doses available to participants in both editions of the Olympic Games, Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022,” IOC President Thomas Bach told the Olympic body’s virtual session.
He did not provide any details on the number of doses. The Olympics involve more than 10,000 athletes while usually tens of thousands more people are involved in the Games as coaching staff, media, volunteers and officials.
Bach was addressing an on-line presentation by new Tokyo Olympics chief Seiko Hashimoto, her first presentation to the IOC since taking over three weeks ago.
“The Chinese Olympic Committee is ready in cooperation with the IOC to make these additional doses available... either via collaboration with international partners or directly in countries were agreements regarding Chinese vaccines are in place,” Bach said.
