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USOPC Requiring COVID-19 Vaccination for American 2022 Winter Olympians

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee will require all 2022 Olympians and Olympic hopefuls to be fully vaccinated, it announced on Wednesday.

Starting Nov. 1, the governing body will require “employees, athletes, contractors and others to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19” to access facilities, including the Olympic and Paralympic training centers (athletes will be able to apply for a medical or religious exemption). The requirement will also apply to the full Team USA delegation at future Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Olympic hopefuls will have to show proof of vaccination by Dec. 1. Anyone who receives an exemption will be required to undergo daily COVID testing for any days they are accessing a USOPC facility or representing Team USA at a delegation event like the Olympics.

About 83% of the 600-plus American athletes at the Tokyo Olympics were vaccinated, according to the USOPC, and the International Olympic Committee estimated that 85% of all athletes staying in the Olympic village were vaccinated. About 240 American athletes are expected to compete at the Beijing Games.

Ahead of the Tokyo Games, a few prominent American athletes revealed they were not vaccinated, including swimmer Michael Andrew. Andrew said that he had previously contracted COVID-19 and that he “didn’t want to put anything in my body that I didn’t know how I would potentially react to.”

The IOC did not require vaccines for Tokyo, but strongly encouraged them, and many NOCs followed suit.

“The stark reality is that this pandemic is far from over,” USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland said in a letter obtained by the Associated Press. “This step will increase our ability to create a safe and productive environment for Team USA athletes and staff, and allow us to restore consistency in planning, preparation and service to athletes.”

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HISWIMCOACH
3 years ago

So just to clarify: If someone is hospitalized after getting the vaccine, that means the vaccine succeeded in preventing their death; but if someone dies after getting the vaccine, it’s not that the vaccine failed, it’s because someone else was unvaccinated?

NC Fan
Reply to  HISWIMCOACH
3 years ago

@hiswimcoach you are essentially correct…the vaccine vastly reduces the likelihood of your significant illness or death and the significant illness or death of others. Glad you’re finally starting to catch on.

Sam B
Reply to  HISWIMCOACH
3 years ago

you mean you want to clarify the facts that 97% of the hospitalization AND deaths from covid happen to unvaccinated people (which prove that the vaccines work – meaning it’s proof for people with a brain) ?

Do Your Own Research
Reply to  Sam B
3 years ago

Tell me you watch CNN everyday without telling me you watch CNN everyday…

HISWIMCOACH
3 years ago

We can finally be safe.

Ol' Longhorn
3 years ago

MA puts Chipotle in his body practically every day. And he’s worried about a vaccine?

Steve Nolan
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
3 years ago

#SkidMarksNotTrackMarks

Sam B
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
3 years ago

He also would let ANYTHING in his body if he got to the hospital with serious covid symptoms

Gulliver’s Swimming Travels
Reply to  Sam B
3 years ago

I mean, he literally told Brett Hawke his mom rushed to get him Ivermectin after his infection last winter, so… this tracks.

Hswimmer
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
3 years ago

Chipotle>>>Vaccinations

Sam B
Reply to  Hswimmer
3 years ago

we actually know way more about what’s in the vaccine vs in fast food joint products, but don’t let the facts derail you

Do Your Own Research
Reply to  Sam B
3 years ago

So we’re under the impression that the government cares about our health when it comes to vaccines, while they actively keep Poisonous Fast Food establishments open, and cigarettes on shelves? Riiiiiiiiiiighttttttt……

magic juice
Reply to  Do Your Own Research
3 years ago

The government tried to get rid of cigarettes, but y’all wouldn’t let them…

Emmm
3 years ago

Force your athletes, but not your members of Congress and the White House… interesting

ACC
Reply to  Emmm
3 years ago
Do Your Own Research
3 years ago

I don’t understand this… you can get, AND spread the virus, even if you’re fully vaccinated. This is a pharmaceutical money grab. Are people not awake yet?

Admin
Reply to  Do Your Own Research
3 years ago

I’m not sure I follow what you mean by pharmaceutical money grab. The US has already paid for and purchased a ton of vaccines, so making Olympians get them don’t really change the economics for the pharmaceutical companies.

The government is paying $20/dose. If we presume that most of the Olympians are already vaccinated on their own accord (that’s probably true), you’re talking maybe 200 new doses? So $4,000? On a company that made $5 billion in net profits in Q2 of 2021? That’s your idea of a “money grab”?

Also, you can get and spread the virus even if you’re fully vaccinated, however, those rates are much, much lower. Evidence is fully vaccinated Madi Wilson, who apparently had… Read more »

Xman
Reply to  Braden Keith
3 years ago

Braden you forgot the cost of the microchips.
Speaking of which I’m still waiting for mine to turn on… Damn it Bill.

NC Fan
Reply to  Xman
3 years ago

I’m still trying to figure out how to get my chip to connect with ‘find my’ on my iPhone. Is this another Gates and Apple incompatibility?

Sam B
Reply to  Do Your Own Research
3 years ago

if you don’t understand it, that’s very sad. if you are fully vaccinated you are 90% less likely to get it, spread it and die. Maybe you don’t want to understand it, that’s also sad and outrageous.

HISWIMCOACH
Reply to  Sam B
3 years ago

Now do Israel.

ACC
Reply to  HISWIMCOACH
3 years ago

Do you mean the country with 84 deaths per 100,000 people, which is lower than every US state besides Vermont, Hawaii, Maine, and Alaska?

HISWIMCOACH
Reply to  ACC
3 years ago

BOOSTERS
FOREVER.

Do Your Own Research
Reply to  Sam B
3 years ago

However, you’re also 99.9% likely to survive, even if you get the virus under the age of 60 (Not sure if we have any 60+ year olds trying to make the Olympic/National Team to my knowledge). Also: Fauci, and the CDC have already stated you absolutely can get the virus if you’re vaccinated, so I’m not sure where that “90%” is coming from…? Just trying to understand.

Also MD Also SwimDad
Reply to  Do Your Own Research
3 years ago

I’m a physician in a leadership position with eyes on our hospital system’s stats. We currently have 89 patients on the vent, 87 of whom are unvaccinated. Almost 70% of our admitted patients are <65, and ~95% are unvaccinated. This tracks with the regional and national data. I’m not engaging with you on this, much like I refuse to engage those who have done their own research and concluded that the Earth is flat.

Last edited 3 years ago by Also MD Also SwimDad
Texas Tap Water
3 years ago

Michael Andrew has left the chat

Greg Peter
3 years ago

Fully expecting this article to blow up with MA comments.

Steve Nolan
3 years ago

Can they make it retroactive to the summer team? Asking for a Concerned Patriot.

About Torrey Hart

Torrey Hart

Torrey is from Oakland, CA, and majored in media studies and American studies at Claremont McKenna College, where she swam distance freestyle for the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps team. Outside of SwimSwam, she has bylines at Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, SB Nation, and The Student Life newspaper.

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