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Frontline health care workers working tirelessly during the COVID-19 pandemic received a special tribute from today’s top superstars. The SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, hosted fully vaccinated doctors, nurses, and medical staff during the VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World.
The concert celebrated and acknowledged the vaccine efforts to eradicate the pandemic and asks citizens of the world to practice solidarity during this challenging time. The event was hosted by multi-platinum recording artist, actress, and producer Selena Gomez and featured performances by Jennifer Lopez, Eddie Vedder, Foo Fighters, J Balvin, and H.E.R.
It also included special appearances by the VAX LIVE campaign chairs, such as Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Ben Affleck, Chrissy Teigen, David Letterman, Gayle King, Jimmy Kimmel, Nomzamo Mbatha, Olivia Munn, Sean Penn, and more.
“We cannot rest and fully recover until there is fair distribution to every corner of the world,” Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, told the audience, as reported by Global Citizen. “We need to lift up all of humanity and make sure nobody is left behind.”
“None of us should be comfortable with thinking that we can be fine when so many others are suffering,” he said. “In reality, and especially with this pandemic, when any suffer, we all suffer. We must look beyond ourselves with empathy and compassion for those we know, and those we don‘t. We need to lift up all of humanity and make sure that no person or community is left behind.”
South African actress Nomzamo Mbatha also called out people in power and demanded vaccine equality for marginalized communities. “Many in Africa might not get a vaccine until 2023,” Mbatha said. “That’s two years from now, and it’s simply unacceptable. The spirit is in us all to rally together and demand that no one, wherever they were born, is left behind.”
Although the fight against the coronavirus isn’t over yet, the event secured $302 million in commitments from governments, corporations, and philanthropists and more than 26 million vaccine doses.
The VAX LIVE also served as a reminder of how much we miss hugging our loved ones, dancing and singing our hearts out in a concert, and showing our smiles without having to remove or cover them with a mask.