Australia prioritizes vaccine for Olympic athletes

Sydney, April 28 2021: The Australian government has announced a decision to fast-track vaccine for the country’s Olympic participants and athletes. The decision was hailed by the Australian Olympics Committee CEO Matt Carroll, who said the news comes as great relief to athletes and officials. He insisted the decision added no extra burden on public resources as some citizens made accusations of line-hopping.

Australia, which has gotten of to a slow start to the inoculation program has so far administered just under 2 million doses and is likely to miss its September deadline of vaccinating the complete population. Some vulnerable groups like those living in aged care homes are yet to get the shot. In an announcement made late on Tuesday, the health minister Greg Hunt said an estimated 2000 athletes and Olympic staff would get the vaccine before heading to Tokyo. He said the decision would ensure safety of the participants. The Olympics are due to begin on the 23rd of July this year.

The decision was followed by some limited backlash on social media as people criticized the government for skipping some teachers and healthcare workers to prioritize the athletes.

The decision to prioritize Olympic athletes prompted a limited backlash on social media, with some users unhappy that teachers and some healthcare workers were still waiting to be fully vaccinated.

The sports minister, Richard Colbeck said that the government’s decision to prioritize the shot for the Athletes doesn’t mean other vulnerable Australians are not a priority but there is a pressure on the cabinet to ensure the safety of the high performance athletes as the Olympics loom closer.

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