From left: Michelle Obama, Joe Biden and Shaquille O’Neal.Photo: Getty (3)
Biden, 78, will appear along with former PresidentBarack Obamaand former First LadyMichelle Obamafor the NBC “Roll Up Your Sleeves” special on Sunday night, Deadline firstreported.
Matthew McConaugheywill be interviewingDr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading federal health expert on infectious diseases.
NBA legendsShaquille O’NealandCharles Barkleywill also appear as will the likes ofJennifer Lopez,Lin-Manuel Miranda,Faith Hill,Eva Longoria,Joe Jonasand more.
ATTN, the production company behind the event, said in a press release the event “aims to educate viewers, raise awareness and dispel concerns surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines, all with the goal of increasing vaccination rates to put an end to the pandemic.”
COVID-19 vaccine.APU GOMES/AFP via Getty
The May 8 special —Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World— will air across multiple networks, including ABC, CBS and Fox, and on YouTube.
More than 120 million Americans have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to aWashington Posttracker.
More than 74 million people have been fully vaccinated in the U.S. — meaning about 22 percent of the American population is fully vaccinated and 36 percent of people have had at least one vaccination.
ANew York Timestrackershows 562,007 people in the U.S. have died from COVID-19, while there have been more than 31.2 million confirmed cases.
The government and numerous public health experts have been encouraging vaccinations in the months since they began rolling out while also navigating challenges to distribution.
This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the U.S. “pause” Johnson & Johnson-made vaccinations because six people reportedly experienced blood clots, according tothe Associated Press.
“I’d like to stress these events appear to be extremely rare. However COVID-19 vaccine safety is a top priority,” Janet Woodcock, the Food and Drug Administration’s acting commissioner, said. “We expect it to be a matter of days for this pause.”
The White HousesaidTuesday the Johnson & Johnson announcement “will not have a significant impact on our vaccination plan” because “we have more than enough Pfizer and Moderna supply” to continue meeting the administration’s goal of distributing three million shots per day.
As information about thecoronavirus pandemicrapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from theCDC,WHOandlocal public health departments.PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMeto raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, clickhere.
source: people.com
