Around 18,000 Tokyo Olympics workers including referees and volunteers will be vaccinated from next week, organisers said, as they try to build confidence that the Games will be safe.

With just six weeks until the pandemic-postponed Games open, officials are still battling domestic opposition and fear that the event could spread the coronavirus.

Tokyo 2020 chief Seiko Hashimoto said she hoped the vaccinations would allow staff to “participate in event operations with peace of mind”. The jabs will target those “interacting closely with the athletes on a frequent basis”, she said.