tokyo 2020 olympics

Pfizer and BioNTech to donate vaccines for Olympic athletes

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"donate"....

17 ( +19 / -2 )

Japan’s athletes and coaches will be inoculated before the under-65 general public and prior to the vaccination completion of those 65 and older. That’s called “preferential access.” Feeling “uneasy” about it does not mitigate the escalation of privilege.

FYI, “Japan denies considering vaccine priority for Olympic athletes” — Reuters, 8 April

24 ( +25 / -1 )

Immoral!

20 ( +23 / -3 )

Where is the urgency to approve more vaccines so the general population can be protected then this wouldn't be an issue. They must change the system and the people in charge.

11 ( +13 / -2 )

Seems like correctly prioritizing is impossible here

17 ( +17 / -0 )

The athletes should know that they are risking health over a athletic show competition. Waiting it out is wiser than being impatient

7 ( +9 / -2 )

in case you had been wondering about your true status and value as an 'ordinary person'.... know you now. (^_-)

13 ( +14 / -1 )

now you know.... that was meant to read....

6 ( +6 / -0 )

A few points, Japan needs donations to vaccinate? That’s embarrassing. Such a small group of people? So for each donation two doses are donated to the masses? Crumbs from the elites table scenario. That’s really embarrassing. The No 3 economy in the WORLD needs donations to vaccinate a small group of SPECIAL people, who through no fault of their own are not really welcome for their 5 day visit. This who situation has spiraled beyond hope of a positive outcome. The government are so out of their depth they have brain freeze and seem to be hoping by doing nothing it will magically go away.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

I can play basketball, Can I get my vaccine earlier?

9 ( +11 / -2 )

I can play basketball, Can I get my vaccine earlier?

LOL

I have my 25 meter swimming badge so I'm in with a shot at the solo synchronized swimming event. Vaccine please.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

If this doesn’t give you pause, you are still sleeping.

Donating a “vaccine”.

I really hope people will research all information on these vaccines, before jumping up and down to get one. They are not what they seem, and not like a flu shot,

the change is permanent.

-12 ( +4 / -16 )

So NOW it’s ok to vaccinate the athletes before the elderly population because the vaccines are donated by Pfizer. What a joke. The number of vaccines were never the issue, but any excuse for the government to hide behind is a valid excuse.

15 ( +16 / -1 )

The data for how safe each of the vaccines actually is won't be available for 30 yrs. So far, the vaccines when produced following the creators processing steps are highly effective at preventing the worst COVID cases and some are also effective at getting to herd protection levels when 70-80% of the population are inoculated.

There are very few people who have complications from the vaccines in the first 8 months.

So, what are the options for what we know - forgetting the Olympics.

get a shot that has already been giving to 100+M people and hasn't shown any atypical reactions for nearly all people getting dosed. Beginning living life more and more like we did before COVID.

don't get any vaccine, continue to have travel, businesses, socially distancing, masks, and more people die?

We know that COVID is deadly to people, more as they are older, but some kids have also died. Women under 40 who have been vaccinated have about a one in a million chance of short-term complications from the vaccine. For others, the risks are much, much, less.

A number of the vaccines use delivery methods similar to other, long time, vaccines. SputnikV, Sino-whatever, J&J, AZ, all use the older methods to deliver the vaccine.

Two vaccines use mRNA techniques, which are certainly much more effective based on the phase 3 trials, but also lacking in long-term, huge group studies.

For me, this was clearly a high reward, little risk choice. Get the shots. Stay out of hospital over this. Sure, we may still get the infection and end up in bed for a few days, but we probably won't have to stay in hospital and certainly won't die from it.

For many people, watching the Olympics is an easy mental health booster. It is for me. I would have volunteered my doses for an athlete somewhere in the world to get theirs on a priority list. Staying at home until August/Sept really isn't much of a hardship to me and I'd really enjoy seeing world-class athletes compete.

-10 ( +5 / -15 )

ALL of these vaccines should be going into care homes and into the arms of the 70 plus population, as well as all medical staff. NOT young, fit athletes.

I cheer for the failure of every athlete who accepts the vaccine before those who desperately need it.

13 ( +16 / -3 )

Terrible.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

So those of us who live here and pay tax can get stuffed then. That's what this 'donation' implies.

17 ( +17 / -0 )

Hold On, Suga! Didn’t you promise the Pfizer meeting was for doses for the general population in September? So, your trip abroad was ‘work for the J Olympic Committee’ and NOT for all the Japanese people?

- “The Pfizer donation followed talks between the firm’s chairman and CEO, Albert Bourla, and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.” -

14 ( +14 / -0 )

No need to “imagine” @Zoroto 8am. This is proof ...

“you live in a 3rd world country with no vaccines at all yet. And then, the very first vaccines in your country goes to the athletes and their groupies.” -

Pfzier and BioNTech to donate vaccines for Olympic athletes - May 7, 2021

3 ( +3 / -0 )

That's wrong in so many levels.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

It looks like Japan/IOC don't cancel Olympics whatever. So the best thing to let them cancel Olympics seems every country announces they do not send athletes to Japan. Nobody comes, no Olympics there. Why don't most countries say they don't send athletes to Tokyo Olympics? Japan is not safe. World is not safe.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Regardless it is only 95% effective that basically means 5 out of 100 athletes will still get covid-19 during the olympics and they have taken shots out of the arms of people who need it immediatly all lives matter not just athletes

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

"Pfzier and BioNTech to donate vaccines for Olympic athletes"

It would better for Pfzier to open its patent, so everyone could make the vaccines on their own.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

This is almost like an intelligence or reading comprehension test.

The athletes are being prioritized and vaccinated before others, including those with vulnerabilities. However, the headline and the spin is "company donates vaccines", not "athletes jump queue".

10 ( +10 / -0 )

But safe enough for sporting events in the west?

It seems not yet. All Europeans or 90% are not vaccinated yet.

If all were vaccinated, you could say enough.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

But safe enough for sporting events in the west?

It seems not yet.

Tomorrow is the Boxing fight, Alvarez vs Saunders in a full packed arena in Texas!

70.000 Spectators live on site in the arena.

-9 ( +1 / -10 )

@Monty

I wonder how many people of Americans are vaccinated? I heard so many people are not vaccinated yet. Biden is looking for 70% of Americans get vaccinated until July. 30% of them would not be vaccinated whatever. Big games are going on in Texas but it seems not safe enough, maybe next year.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

How about donating some vaccinations to the general tax paying population?

10 ( +10 / -0 )

@kwatt

I wonder how many people of Americans are vaccinated?

Honestly speaking I dont know.

I was just surprised when I saw 2 weeks ago UFC 261 live in a full packed arena with 15.000 spectators in Jacksonville Florida, and now this saturday Alvarez vs Saunders in a 70.000 spectators full packed arena in Texas.

It seems that in America things are going back to normal.

So I guess the vaccine roll out is running very well there and people dont care anymore about the virus.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

I guess you are relying on the general silence of the Japanese to accept this?

Silent they will. Nobody questions the decision made by the authorities.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

As of last Monday less than 20% of health care workers in Japan had been vaccinated and only around 2% of the total population.

Queue jumping by athletes is obscene. The government allowing this to take place is disgusting.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

Once again, your family? Expendable. The Olympics? #1 priority of this government.

12 ( +12 / -0 )

Vaccinations dont stop you carrying the virus, they stop you getting sick. What does it matter if these healthy young people contract the disease in their olympic bubble? There are people who are actually at risk.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Sensible. In any case, the Government is incapable of vaccinating any meaningful amount of people here quite clearly. In any case, this is for all Olympic delegations, not just the Japanese - I don't quite understand all the anger here.

Why not outsource the entire vaccination process in Japan to the IOC - they might actually get it done!

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

There is no justification for Vaccine developers Pfizer and BioNTech to be donating vaccine support to stage the 2020 Olympics.

The decision is anomalous in consideration to the toll this pandemic has inflicted on the developing world.

And yet BioNTech, IOC, see fit to prioritize athletes and officials preparing for the Tokyo Olympics above developing countries that critical need for these vaccine is essential to protect the most venerable.

COVID-19: Vaccines for Developing Countries

https://live.worldbank.org/covid-19-vaccines-developing-countries

2 ( +4 / -2 )

This is simply EVIL!!!

8 ( +8 / -0 )

But you wouldn't say it was 'EVIL' if the Japanese Government had done its job properly. This is the IOC doing its job properly, Simple.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

The tainied and disgusting Olympics just can't stop getting more disgusting by the day.

I hope the athletes are proud of themselves.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Personal boycotts of the Olympics please! Don't consume any media about them at all, don't talk about them, don't purchase any merch and live as though they don't exist.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

To expect anything other than corruption and duplicity from the J govt, IOC and these 2 companies is naive at best.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Time to boycott this farce.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

Ask represent still several Olympic committees to the Olympics this means that I would be entitled to receive the vaccine by priority in Japan. I want it. But not in this way. It is another cheap play from the IOC to sell unsellable games and I find it repulsive. I want the Games in 2022 and I know there are only arguments for that while only the self interest of the few holds that back

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Pfzrrrr...

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Serious athletes wouldn’t accept any experimental “emergency” vaccine. They have very strict policies on what they put in their bodies.

it is a human rights crime to force them.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

Ok, we know 80% of the population is against holding the games.

We also know the IOC and Jgov will not listen to the people.

So those calling for a boycott, etc..do something that might actually get a result, use FB, Twitter, contact family back in your country, have them and you contact the local news, politicians, etc.. in other countries point out what is going on, make people aware of the situation here and get your home country government to pull out and hopefully if enough major countries do, then the IOC will have no choice but to cancel.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

Another big middle finger to the rest of us in Japan who likely won’t even be able to get the vaccine this year.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Sure! Who cares about the rest of us - mere mortals!

5 ( +5 / -0 )

I, for one, welcome our new vaccinated Olympic overlords

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Regardless it is only 95% effective that basically means 5 out of 100 athletes will still get covid-19 during the olympics

Only if you try to infect all the 100 athletes.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Just only from a mathematical point of view...crazy and irresponsible. Even with the most optimistic percentages, from those companies themselves, 85% after the first dose , reached if waiting several weeks, and 94% after the second vaccination dose, and again several weeks of waiting, we get a maximum of 799 athletes 94% safe, 159 athletes at 85% safe and 22 athletes like having received no vaccinations, means two not working shots, per 1000 athletes. And that’s the most optimistic version, never reachable outside of laboratory conditions. You can surely come to similar results with a little Bayesian probability tree and a simple calculator.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Sorry, a typo...799 athletes 94% safe, 179 athletes at 85% safe and 22 athletes at 0% (per1000)

1 ( +1 / -0 )

BioNTech will donate doses to inoculate athletes and officials preparing for the Tokyo Olympics

Hmm.. volunteers eligible too right ?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The reason there is no vaccine rollout in Japan is not because Pfizer didn’t donate vaccines to Japan. Our govt is to blame for that massive failure. Now, if Pfizer didn’t donate the vaccines to Olympic athletes I could understand some outrage. There are many countries around the world, all poorer than Japan, that will happily accept these vaccines for their athletes.

Though in my opinion the Olympics should be canceled.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I’m with most comments, it’s a discrace.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

what a disgrace! these are taxpayers money. you prioritize these athletes instead of the Japanese people?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

You "donate" something to your local Cat Rescue Group.

You "donate" something to Doctors Without Borders.

You "donate" something to the homeless man who's chilling at Yokohama Station.

You "donate" something to people who have a need for something but lack other ways to get the said donated things themselves.

Giving something to people who are already better off than the rest is not called "donating" or "charitable", it's called pampering and is a very hard slap in the face of those who actually need donations.

You can see that the government seems to be confused about its priorities.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Yup they don't want to be upstaged by China so they followed its footsteps.

If they did this from the start then China wouldn't have had the opportunity

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@justasking

Regardless it is only 95% effective that basically means 5 out of 100 athletes will still get covid-19 during the olympics

Only if you try to infect all the 100 athletes.

They are coming in by Flying Petri dish aren't they?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

You actually think every 5 out of 100 will get covid?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

@ian

You actually think every 5 out of 100 will get covid?

I have no idea how many will get covid i am not a oracle, however the vaccine they are taking says:

Pfizer/BioNTec vaccine on Thursday confirmed that the jab provided more than 95 percent protection against COVID-19

https://japantoday.com/category/features/health/pfizer-biontech-jab-confirmed-to-protect-95-in-largest-study-yet

The odds are that in a gathering as large as the olympics is going to be you have a higher chance to get some infections.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

This DONATE strikes more like..."Pfizer and BioNTech - now hiring!"

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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