WARSAW: Poland men’s and women’s volleyball teams have begun their vaccination process against COVID-19 prior to the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the Polish Volleyball Association said on Tuesday.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki confirmed earlier this month that the country’s Olympic athletes would be vaccinated before going to Tokyo. The track cyclists and the volleyball players are the first groups to be inoculated in the process which started on Monday. 13 male volleyball players, six female players and both teams’ coaching staff have been inoculated.
“Now we are calm and we can focus just on playing volleyball,” receiver Bartosz Bednorz told Polish media.
“My family’s health is a priority. It is very good that we can get vaccinated before the Olympics. Thanks to this, we will be able to prepare for the competition. I thank the Polish authorities for that. I encourage Poles to get vaccinated!” added Vital Heynen, the men’s team coach.
All players received a single-dose vaccine.
“It is technically much more convenient for athletes. They travel a lot and are away from home for a very long time. A single-dose vaccine definitely simplifies this process logistically. This solution is recommended,” Hubert Krysztofiak, head of the medical mission to the Tokyo Olympics, told the Polish Press Agency on Tuesday.
The PGE national stadium in Warsaw is the central point for vaccinating athletes.
