The anti-poverty organization Global Citizen put on a benefit concert May 8, which ahead of its broadcast raised $302 million and secured over 26 million COVID-19 vaccine doses.
The event, called Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World, was pre-taped and drew an in-person audience of 27,000 fully vaccinated health care and essential workers. Politicians, celebrities, and musicians urged getting vaccinated and discouraged world leaders from stockpiling vaccines. Participants included Joe Biden, Jennifer Lopez, Oprah Winfrey, David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel, Sean Penn ... and Pope Francis.
Their call is as timely as ever, since according to the Economist on May 5:
The $300 million raised will go toward vaccine delivery and equipment, as part of the COVAX initiative. All of the vaccine doses pledged will be delivered to low-income countries by the end of this year.
Prince Harry co-chaired the event with his wife Megan Markle.
"We cannot rest or truly recover until there is fair distribution to every corner of the world," he said. "The virus does not respect borders and access to the vaccine cannot be determined by geography."
Among those to address the event was Pope Francis, who joined in with a video message.
He began:
The pope warned against the sick roots of evil and the virus of individualism, "which does not make us freer or more equal or more brotherly or sisterly, but rather makes us indifferent to the suffering of others." He called for vaccine technology to be shared.
Francis urged a suspension of patent rights as well as a more inclusive economy in general.
The Holy Father insisted on what he has said since the beginning of the pandemic, that "we do not come out of a crisis the same as before: either we come out better or we come out worse."
He called for "the inventiveness to look for better ways."
The pope concluded his message with a prayer and a request for prayer:
