The International Olympic Committee is expected to provide COVID-19 vaccines for about 20,000 people in Japan who are set to compete or work at this summer’s Tokyo Games to improve the safety of the global sporting event to be held during the coronavirus pandemic, an official with knowledge of the matter said Monday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the vaccines are likely to be offered for free to the athletes and staff in Japan, where inoculations have lagged far behind other developed countries and a large majority of people have yet to be vaccinated.

About 2,500 of Japan’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes are estimated to need COVID-19 vaccines.