British Olympic head says Olympic athletes shouldn't be fast-tracked for Covid-19 vaccine. Do you agree? We don't.

It's simply not appropriate to ask more vulnerable people to put their lives at more risk because of selfish others.

I'm astounded this is even a question & post, are you lot serious ?

I do. YOU be realistic, you powder puffs insulated from people with real lives, hardship, and accountability. Olympics are a distraction, the vast majority of humans on this planet don't care. Even a majority of Japanese don't care.

People are dying left and right. Let those most at risk get vaccinated first. Pro athletes should be at the back of the line.

kmaclam wrote:

People are dying left and right. Let those most at risk get vaccinated first. Pro athletes should be at the back of the line.

Exactly, if there was one group that should be last, it's athletes. They're probably at the least risk of anyone.

No, entertaining billions is not worth hundreds or thousands of lives. There are PLENTY of other sources of entertainment in this world, and even in its temporary (or much longer) absence, human beings can get by just fine.

The UK variant is causing an even worse outbreak than what the UK experienced in the spring. The country is getting savaged by the virus. Lockdowns are barely containing the outbreak. The new UK variant may be so contagious that social distancing measures like wearing a cloth facemask and staying 6 feet apart may not be making any difference. The UK recorded over 1,800 deaths yesterday, an all time high for the pandemic in the UK and the toll is expected to keep going higher.

Every dose of vaccine in the UK is critical at this point to both help slow the out of control rates of transmission and to save lives in an overwhelmed health system. Getting the vaccine into the arms of the most vulnerable and the essential workers who are at greatest risk of transmission is truly and seriously a matter of life and death. And that is not even taking into consideration the race against a potential immunity escape variant like the SA and Brazilian variants.

Diverting doses to athletes in the UK would be horrifically irresponsible and dangerous. It would be politically disastrous as the government would effectively be saying that the national field hockey team and handball squad is more important than saving the UK from the virus.

Will this still be an argument in six months? Is it really going to take that long for every 80-year-old and compromised person to have the chance to get two shots if they want them? OK, maybe in East Wazoostan and other corrupt or war-torn areas of Asia or Africa, but how is that the IOC's fault? Maybe bar countries from the Olympics that can't get their vaccination act together. Or maybe realize that supremely fit young people do not get sick from the COVIDs even when they do catch it.

No. If the Olympics don't happen they don't happen. The 2024 games could be the next ones for all I care.

The more at risk people need to get it first with the less at risk people, like athletes with no underlying conditions, getting it when their time comes.

You should find and read Evan Dunfee's opinion piece on this. He describes the reasons why the BOA's stance is the correct one, as is the COC's (Dunfee is Canadian).

There are huge issues with the Olympic Games in good times, let alone during a pandemic. And as people have become more aware of these issues, it's become more difficult for the IOC to find hosts for the Games.

At the very least, have some respect for the people of Tokyo - close to 80% of them don't want to see the Games go ahead as scheduled.

The number of virus doses are fixed. Giving doses to athletes takes them away from first responders and other people who need them more. It's completely inappropriate and sets a terrible precedent.

Biologists, epidemiologists, medical doctors and Big Pharma HOPE & PRAY the various covid-19 vaccines will hold up to covid-19 mutations. Talk to medical doctors informally off the record. It is not known if covid-19 vaccines will work well on mutated covid-19 virus. Uncle Sam was setting group priorities. As a nation, we need to start going by last digit of social security number. Everyone with last ss digit of zero for the next two weeks gets the vaccine then everyone with last digit of 1 gets the vaccine for the following two weeks, etc.

No they are not in the most at risk catagory.

You would also have to vaccinate all the officials volunteers etc for it to work.

Professional athletes as a population are at the lowest risk levels (relatively speaking) compared to virtually everyone else. No one at risk or should have to worry about dying or getting gravely ill so someone else can frivolously have the privilege of participating in a spectacle. There is absolutely no good reason to prioritize them over any other group. Furthermore, their work is not in the slightest essential, and those who jobs (REAL jobs, btw) have high chances of exposure should get before them as well - this would protect people from harm and help stop the spread.

If anything running has showed us, runners can still find ways to compete and put on events. At worst, they just won't have the glitz and glamour of the Olympics. It's unfortunate that COVID might curtail someone's dreams of glory and we all (mostly) love the Olympics, but lets get real and grow up here.

Lol 11,000 people shouldn't be fast tracked to SAVE THE FREAKING OLYMPICS?! What a puss. Plus save Japan billions. Uh yeah make the athletes take the friggin test and get it done asap. Smh

Little Dickie Pound wrote:

You should find and read Evan Dunfee's opinion piece on this. He describes the reasons why the BOA's stance is the correct one, as is the COC's (Dunfee is Canadian).

There are huge issues with the Olympic Games in good times, let alone during a pandemic. And as people have become more aware of these issues, it's become more difficult for the IOC to find hosts for the Games.

At the very least, have some respect for the people of Tokyo - close to 80% of them don't want to see the Games go ahead as scheduled.

The Olympics are cancelled. Japan’s focus is now 2032.

Just pull out the race card and pitch it as there are this many Black Athletes in the Olympics. If you don't allow the Olympics, you are racists.

kmaclam wrote:

People are dying left and right. Let those most at risk get vaccinated first. Pro athletes should be at the back of the line.

People are dying left and right that already were going to die. Sorry your 95 yr old grandma didn’t make to 96. That’s called life.

briswiss wrote:

kmaclam wrote:

People are dying left and right. Let those most at risk get vaccinated first. Pro athletes should be at the back of the line.

People are dying left and right that already were going to die. Sorry your 95 yr old grandma didn’t make to 96. That’s called life.

Huh???

If I’ve learned anything from this website, and I haven’t, it’s that athletes have nothing to worry about with COVID19 and there is no need to vaccinate them.

Seems likely they will be able to get a vax before the games anyway. What is the rush?