Dutch athletes who have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will be given priority for vaccinations against the Coronavirus. To date, approximately two hundred Dutch athletes have qualified for the Games in the Japanese capital, which begin on 23 July 2021. This group is expected to grow significantly in the coming period. It is not yet clear which vaccine the athletes will receive. The athletes themselves may decide whether or not they want to be vaccinated as it is not mandatory. NOC*NSF has been consulting with VWS for quite some time about the vaccination of top athletes for the Olympics. The sports umbrella explicitly stated that it did not want to displace or disadvantage other vulnerable groups that desperately need the vaccine. People with poor health come first, according to NOC*NSF. Athletes who qualify for the Games also have the option of being vaccinated at the IOC’s expense. The IOC was offered the vaccines by the Chinese Olympic Committee and took the offer with both hands. The same arrangement applies to the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing. A number of countries have already started vaccinating Olympic athletes. In Russia, Hungary, Lithuania, Kenya and New Zealand, top athletes already received priority vaccinations.
