Prince Harry made an appearance at Global Citizen's COVID-19 vaccine concert on Sunday to urge an "unprecedented commitment to our shared humanity."
The Duke of Sussex spoke at the "Vax Live" concert that was held in Los Angeles to push for the "equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines," and he called for collective action toward this goal.
"The vaccine must be distributed to everyone, everyone," Harry said. "We cannot rest, or truly recover, until there is fair distribution to every corner of the world. The mission in front of us is one in which we cannot afford to fail at."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Latest Videos FromThe Week
Harry went on to say that the "virus does not respect borders and access to the vaccine cannot be determined by geography" but instead "must be accepted as a basic right for all and that is our starting point," People reports.
"We must look beyond ourselves with empathy and compassion for those we know, and those we don't," Harry added. "We need to lift up all of humanity and make sure that no person or community is left behind."
The concert came at a time when India is grappling with a major COVID-19 surge, and the Duke of Sussex said that "we stand in solidarity with the millions of families across India who are battling a devastating second wave." Harry received an "electric reception and standing ovation" at the event, The Hollywood Reporter's Chris Gardner wrote.
The Vax Live concert was hosted by Selena Gomez and featured performances from artists including Jennifer Lopez. Global Citizen says it surpassed its goal of securing 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses "to help the world's most marginalized communities and health care workers access the vaccine." After being taped on Sunday, the Vax Live concert is set to air on May 8. Brendan Morrow
