The US Olympic delegation will include only vaccinated athletes | Israel Today

American athletes who will participate in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics will have to be fully vaccinated against Corona, as part of a new policy announced by the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

The committee's secretary general, Sarah Hirschland, said that as of November 1, the Olympic Committee will require vaccination of staff, athletes and others using the committee's facilities. .

According to the committee's website, the athletes will have to present proof of vaccination by December 1.

The U.S. is expected to send about 240 athletes to the Winter Olympics, though the requirement for a vaccine will affect anyone who has hopes of reaching the final team. The games are expected to open on February 4, 2022.

The International Olympic Committee encouraged vaccinations but did not demand it from the athletes who competed in the Summer Olympics in Tokyo this year.

A booklet offering health-related guidelines ahead of the Winter Games is due out next month.

"The amazing reality is that this epidemic is far from over," Herrland wrote.

"This move will increase our ability to create a safe and productive environment for athletes and U.S. delegation staff, and will allow us to restore consistency in planning, preparation and service to athletes." Hirschland added that the process of athletes applying for exemption would be possible.

This policy of the Olympic Committee goes beyond that of other American sports organizations, including the NFL and NBA, which do not require players to be vaccinated.

The same goes for the NHL, even though the league has strict protocols for unvaccinated players, including conditions that allow teams to suspend unvaccinated players if they lose games because of Corona or due to virus-related movement restrictions.