World Coronavirus Dispatch: Should Olympians be vaccinated on priority?

Philippines kicks off vaccinations, Covid has taken wind out of Dutch politics, New Zealand PM under pressure over latest cluster and other pandemic-related news across the globe

Olympic athletes and vaccination

As the Japan summer games near, countries like Israel, Hungary and others have announced plans to push Olympic-bound atheletes to the front in the vaccination line. But in some other nations including the United States, Britain and Italy, there is opposition to the idea that athletes should be given priority for vaccination. The debate squares off those who argue on the lines of morality against others calling for basic exceptions in extraordinary times. In this context, how the countries proceed could determine whether the Olympics will be a celebration of crisis times, or a global virus super-spreader