We'll never ask for athletes to be vaccinated first, says Italian Olympic Committee

FILE PHOTO: Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) President Giovanni Malago attends a news conference at the 134th session of International Olympic Committee (IOC) during which the host city for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games will be decided in Lausanne, Switzerland, June 24, 2019. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

(Reuters) - The president of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) said on Saturday that it will never ask for its athletes to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before others in the country ahead of the Tokyo Summer Games.

Hungary and Serbia began inoculating their Olympic athletes on Friday, while Israel’s Olympic Committee said it had already vaccinated half its Olympic delegation and would complete the process by the end of May.