A cloud of bewilderment lingers among athletes who have qualified for the Tokyo Games and Olympic hopefuls alike over whether to get vaccinated for COVID-19, as the decision is being left up to each athlete.
With the July 23 start of the Games only two months away, the athletes have been asked to make a quick decision whether to receive inoculation.
A considerable number of athletes have decided not to get vaccinated because of concerns over the lack of information or out of consideration for public sentiment, such as the elderly having not yet all received their inoculations.
-- IOC-sponsored vaccination
The International Olympic Committee will provide athletes attending the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics with vaccine doses free of charge. The vaccinations will be administered independently from that for the general public by the Japanese government.
On May 17, the Japanese Olympic Committee instructed each sporting organization to decide by May 21 on which day and how many of their athletes wanted to be inoculated. As most of the organizations have already responded, inoculations are expected to begin soon.
But a senior member of a sports organization said, "Since it was such a short notice, we could not thoroughly prepare for that."
Because the second dose of the vaccine provided by the IOC will be given about three weeks after the first dose, little time is left before the start of the Games.
"There was no detailed explanation from the JOC about risks and other factors regarding the vaccinations. It was like, 'Get back to us as soon as possible,'" the senior member said.
While many athletes expressed their hope to get vaccinated over concerns for infection or the spread of the virus, another athletic organization's official said: "About a third of athletes we had talked to about vaccinations said they would not get inoculated. They apparently were worried about how a vaccination will affect their detailed plans to adjust their conditions before the Olympics."
One female athlete who refused to receive the vaccination said that although she appreciated the offer, she could not help but consider the fact that vaccinations of the elderly have not yet been completed in the country.
-- Briefings scheduled
According to a source related to the Games, sports organizations are making efforts to provide vaccination-related information.
The Japan Table Tennis Association plans to hold an explanatory session with a team doctor on the effects of the vaccination, cases of adverse reactions and precautions to take when resuming practice.
The Japan Softball Association has already started online interviews with a doctor.
Some pointed to a challenge the vaccination may pose to the harmony among team members.
A staff member of a team sport said: "There is a possibility that athletes who were not vaccinated will be 'distinguished' from those who were inoculated. Consideration needs to be given in such a case [to maintain a spirit of harmony within the team]."
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
