[Source: Reuters]

All Australian athletes and officials heading to the Tokyo Olympics will be fast-tracked for vaccination ahead of the games, the government has said.

More than 2,000 Olympians, Paralympians, their coaches and support staff will get the jabs.

The summer Olympics, delayed from 2020, will open on 23 July, followed by the Paralympic games on 24 August.

Before the government intervention, most Australian athletes would have been given the shots later in the year.

“We want to see our athletes head to Tokyo to compete and then return to Australia safely,” Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Tuesday.

Sports Minister Richard Colbeck said that “while vulnerable Australians remain an absolute priority as the vaccine rollout continues, National Cabinet [consisting of the prime minister and state and territory leaders] understands the pressure our high-performance athletes have been facing as the Tokyo Games draw closer.