A man wearing a protective face mask walks near the Olympic rings in the Odaiba section of Tokyo on Dec. 1, 2020.Eugene Hoshiko/The Associated Press
The Canadian Olympic Committee says its “strong preference” is for athletes competing in the Tokyo Games this summer to receive a COVID-19 vaccine approved by Health Canada.
David Shoemaker, CEO and secretary general of the COC, delivered his thoughts in a statement after the International Olympic Committee and China announced details of a vaccine partnership on Thursday.
The deal will have the Chinese Olympic Committee buying and providing vaccines for people taking part in the coming Games in both Tokyo and Beijing.
However, none of the Chinese vaccines is approved for use in Canada.
Shoemaker says the COC “will continue to follow Health Canada guidelines and the recommendations of our chief medical officer and the return to sport task force for all matters relating to the health and safety of Team Canada.”
Vaccines are not mandatory for athletes to compete in the Tokyo Games.
Federal officials said Wednesday that Canada is expected to have received one dose for each Canadian by the end of June. The Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to begin July 23.
The partnership comes as criticism of China continues ahead of the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.
Meanwhile, a Canadian Olympic gold medalist and a Toronto-based infection disease specialist are hopeful the IOC-China vaccine deal can help other countries in the fight against COVID-19.
Wrestler Erica Wiebe says it would be a great outcome if the partnership “can help athletes and citizens of countries with less robust vaccination plans than Canada.”
Wiebe, who captured gold in 2016 in Rio, says she’s optimistic Canadians can have one dose of an approved vaccine before Canada Day.
Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease expert at the University of Toronto, says the vaccine deal is a sign that the Olympics will be held.
“It’s a total equity issue,” said Bogoch, who is on Ontario’s vaccine task force.
“Some individuals in some countries just won’t have access because their country is not as fortunate as Canada or the United States or the European Union countries. Doesn’t mean they don’t have world-class athletes that should have every opportunity to compete. And this will enable that.”
Bogoch thinks Canadian athletes should stick to vaccines with a green light in Canada.
“I think from a Canadian perspective, if a vaccine isn’t approved in Canada, you wouldn’t recommend a Canadian athlete get that vaccine. It’s as simple as that. You would want a Canadian athlete to have a vaccine that’s approved in Canada,” he said.
On Thursday, China strengthened its relationship with the IOC by offering to pay for vaccines for athletes as criticism of the 2022 Winter Games host country continues.
“We are grateful for this offer, which is in the true Olympic spirit of solidarity,” IOC president Thomas Bach said during an online meeting that included sports leaders and the organizing committees of future Olympics.
Bach said the IOC would “pay for extra doses” for Olympic and Paralympic participants. The Tokyo Olympics are set to open on July 23, and the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing are scheduled for February.
The agreement is a reputational win for China when its own Olympics have been severely criticized.
Activists have tried to brand it the “Genocide Games” because of China’s detention of its Uyghur people in prison camps. Pro-democracy campaigners have also linked the Olympics to protests about Hong Kong and Tibet.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said he believes genocide is being committed against ethnic minorities in china’s Xinjiang province.
The IOC and Bach have typically deflected questions about China’s record on human rights and said the Olympic body could influence only projects directly related to staging the games.
A 45-minute update on Beijing’s hosting Thursday focused only on praise and the logistics of organizing sports events.
Bach said the agreement with China would help fulfil promises to Olympic organizers and competitors that the games in Tokyo will be staged safely.
Heading off long-standing concerns that athletes might jump the line to get vaccinated, Bach said extra doses for the general public will be given to countries taking part in the program.
“The IOC will pay for two doses more, which can be made available for the population in the respective country according to their needs,” Bach said.
Distribution will be through international agencies or existing vaccine agreements countries have with China, Bach said.
with a report from The Associated Press