Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Encourage Vaccine Equity: ‘Can’t Leave Anybody Behind’

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have a new mission: vaccine equity. 

Global Citizen, an international advocacy group, announced on Tuesday that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on Tuesday are the Campaign Chairs for the upcoming event: “Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World.”

The concert, which will take place on May 8, “calls for new commitments from governments, the private sector, and philanthropists toward the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide,” according to a release shared with HuffPost on Tuesday.

“Over the past year, our world has experienced pain, loss, and struggle — together,” the Sussexes said in a joint statement. “Now we need to recover and heal — together. We can’t leave anybody behind. We will all benefit, we will all be safer, when everyone everywhere has equal access to the vaccine.” 

“We must pursue equitable vaccine distribution, and in that, restore faith in our common humanity. This mission couldn’t be more critical or important,” they added.

The Sussexes are expected to deliver a message during the event.

Selena Gomez will helm the concert, which will include performances from Jennifer Lopez, J Balvin, Foo Fighters and H.E.R. and appearances from celebrities like Chrissy Teigen, Gayle King, Ben Affleck and more. 

President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will also pop in during the event. 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spoke about their devotion to living a “life of service” back in February, shortly after confirming that they would not be returning to working royal status following a 12-month review. 

Buckingham Palace said in a statement at the time that “Following conversations with the Duke, the Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of the Royal Family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service.” 

A spokesperson for the couple said that “the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain committed to their duty and service to the UK and around the world, and have offered their continued support to the organisations they have represented regardless of official role.”