Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to donate doses of the companies’ COVID-19 Vaccine to help vaccinate athletes, and their delegations, participating in the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, which are scheduled to begin on July 23, 2021.

Under the MoU, the companies and the IOC will coordinate with National Olympic Committees (NOCs) around the world to understand and work to help address the local need for vaccine doses for national delegations’ participation in the Games.

Delivery of initial doses to participating delegations is expected to begin at the end of May where possible with the aim to ensure participating delegations receive second doses ahead of arrivals in Tokyo.

Under the MoU framework, NOCs and their local governments are expected to coordinate the administration of vaccinations to eligible Games participants. Doses provided under this MoU would be in addition to doses provided under supply agreements with governments worldwide.

The donation of vaccine doses will not affect the supply of the national populations with COVID-19 doses under the supply agreements.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine has not been approved or licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but has been authorized for emergency use by FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to prevent COVID-19 for use in individuals 16 years of age and older.