Tully Kearney: Seven-time Para-swimming champion 'shocked' by wait for Covid-19 vaccine clearance by WADA
Tully Kearney, who hopes to compete for ParalympicsGB at Tokyo next summer, said on Twitter: "I'm actually shocked being in the 'clinically extremely vulnerable' group and likely to be called for vaccination soon that this has not been dealt with sooner!"
Last Updated: 11/12/20 6:03am
Seven-time Para-swimming world champion Tully Kearney has said she is "shocked" about having to potentially make a decision to either miss the Tokyo Paralympics or protect herself from Covid-19.
WADA relayed information about coronavirus vaccines to UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) saying they could not yet rule out whether a vaccine contained prohibited constituents.
Kearney, who hopes to compete for ParalympicsGB at Tokyo next summer, said on Twitter: "I'm actually shocked being in the 'clinically extremely vulnerable' group and likely to be called for vaccination soon that this has not been dealt with sooner!
"So do I risk potential serious illness/death from Covid or a doping ban and miss out on going to Tokyo?!?!"
UKAD Head of Science and Medicine Nick Wojek said: "WADA is currently liaising with pharmaceutical companies to determine whether the constituents of the vaccines in development are prohibited in sport, and whether the technologies being used will pose any complications for detecting doping."
He added: "Whilst it is too early to make a definitive statement on any particular vaccine, WADA has already confirmed that it is extremely unlikely that such vaccines violate anti-doping regulations. Equally, the risk that the excipients used for such vaccines will pose issues for clean sport and the anti-doping regulations is anticipated to be small.
"We await further updates from WADA on the matter before being able to advise athletes on the anti-doping status of any specific vaccine."
The UK became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer vaccine last week, with care home workers, hospital patients and NHS staff, among others, getting the first jabs on Tuesday.
