J-Lo, H.E.R. and Foo Fighters to star in streamed concert to fund COVID-19 vaccines

[April 14, 2021]  LONDON (Reuters) -Singers Jennifer Lopez and H.E.R. will star in a global streaming and broadcast special on May 8 to raise money for COVID-19 vaccines, following last year's "One World - Together at Home" fundraiser in which locked-down stars including Lady Gaga performed from their homes.

"VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World" will be hosted by singer Selena Gomez and also feature the Foo Fighters and Eddie Vedder, according to organiser Global Citizen, an international advocacy group.

"This is really an opportunity to call on world leaders to make sure that the 27 million heroic healthcare workers around the world that don't yet have access to a vaccine can get access over the coming months," Global Citizen Chief Executive Hugh Evans told Reuters.

The event will also campaign for fair and equal access to vaccines for all.

"The reality is that right now many of the wealthiest nations are starting to stockpile vaccines," said Evans, adding the broadcast would urge nations to donate excess doses and give financial support to the COVAX facility, backed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI).

COVAX aims to secure 2 billion vaccine doses for lower-income countries by the end of 2021.

"The great news is there have already been many nations around the world that are starting to donate doses," Evans said. "Australia, for example, donated a million doses to Papua New Guinea. We know the Norwegian government decided to make a donation of doses.

"There's really great momentum that is building," he added.

(Reporting by Hanna Rantala in London, Writing by Alexandra HudsonEditing by Mike Collett-White and Matthew Lewis)

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