British athletes, staff to be vaccinated before Tokyo Games

Team Great Britain athletes and staff travelling to the Olympic and Paralympic Games will receive COVID-19 vaccine shots before they travel to Tokyo.

According to IOC vice-president John Coates, more than 80 percent of residents of the Olympic Village would be vaccinated ahead of the Games. - REUTERS (REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE)

Team Great Britain athletes and staff travelling to the Olympic and Paralympic Games will receive COVID-19 vaccine shots before they travel to Tokyo, the British Olympic Association (BOA) said on Friday.

The BOA said the vaccines will be obtained through an agreement between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Pfizer which will not hit current supplies for the British public.

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"The U.K. Government has confirmed that... Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes and support staff will be fully vaccinated ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, based on the unique position of having to travel to Japan to go about their work," a BOA spokesperson told  Reuters  via email.

IOC vice-president John Coates said on Friday that more than 80 percent of residents of the Olympic Village would be vaccinated ahead of the July 23-August 8 Games. The Paralympic Games run from August 24-September 5.