The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have urged Covid vaccine makers to show “responsibility and leadership” by increasing the number of doses delivered to developing countries.

As they celebrated Archie’s second birthday by calling for $5 contributions to aid global delivery, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle encouraged vaccine makers to ‘temporarily suspend’ intellectual property privileges in order to support those in developed countries obtain access to vaccines.

They asked people to “contribute whatever you can — if you have the means to do so — to bring vaccines to families in the world’s most vulnerable places” in a message posted on their website titled “Join Us in Advocating for Vaccine Equity on Archie’s Birthday.”

Harry and Meghan have written an open letter to the CEOs of pharmaceutical firms such as Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca, encouraging them to increase their support for the UN-backed Covax initiative.

In reaction to a ‘equity crisis,’ the vaccine bosses were asked to ‘act with extraordinary purpose, responsibility, and leadership’ and use ‘every possible measure to increase global supply,’ according to the lengthy note, which was released by Global Citizen.

“Temporary suspension of intellectual property” and “extraordinary global public-private collaboration resulting in wider transfer of technology and know-how” were among the suggested measures.

They said they were “incredibly grateful” that often people contribute to charity on his behalf and mark the day with an act of service “and continue to do so organically and selflessly.”

Meghan and Harry, who are campaign chairs for the Vax Live concert to collect funds for vaccination coverage, said that $5 might “cover the cost of a dose for someone in need.”

The Sussexes’ entry into the global debate about vaccination rollout coincides with their son Archie’s second birthday, and they have invited all who want to commemorate the occasion to contribute to Covax.

While AstraZeneca has already stated that it would not profit from the vaccine during the pandemic, Harry and Meghan have encouraged Pfizer and Moderna CEOs to follow suit and deliver at least 100 million doses of their vaccines at ‘not-for-profit prices’ this year.

They have also asked that the two pharmaceutical behemoths speed up their delivery and get the vaccines to COVAX – the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access, which prevents citizens from the virus “regardless of wealth” – as fast as possible.

The pair also secured matched support from a number of organizations, so that any $5 contributed up to $3 million would instantly transform into $20, enough to cover four vaccine doses.

“While some places are on the verge of healing, in so many parts of the world, communities continue to suffer. As of today, around 80 percent of the nearly one billion COVID-19 vaccine shots that have been given were administered in wealthier countries. While we may feel that normalcy is around the corner, we remind ourselves that in much of the world, and especially in developing countries, vaccine distribution has effectively yet to start,” the California royals said.

At Global Citizen’s Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the Planet, a charitable performance in aid of the worldwide Covid vaccine campaign, Harry was joined by plenty of celebrities from the realms of music, television, and politics.

The duke called for vaccinations to be “distributed to everyone everywhere” while praising frontline care staff at the concert and across the globe, speaking to an animated audience of only completely vaccinated attendees.

Joe Biden yesterday lent his support to attempts to waive intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccinations in an attempt to hasten the end of the pandemic.

The UK is under pressure to follow his example and advocate for Covid vaccine patents to be scrapped so that businesses can produce affordable copies to distribute to low-income nations, which have received just 0.4 percent of the world’s 1.2 billion vaccinations.

The couple said, “We cannot think of a more resonant way to honour our son’s birthday.” “If we all show up, with compassion for those we both know and don’t know, we can have a profound impact. Even a small contribution can have a ripple effect .”

“As we are seeing in countries like India, the urgency to deliver doses now to save lives and stop the spread of Covid-19 is only increasing.

“That’s why it is imperative that we ensure equitable vaccine access globally so that people are protected, economies can recover, and this global pandemic can be brought to an end everywhere.

“Therefore we, the undersigned, stand with global citizens who want to see Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers act with extraordinary purpose, responsibility, and leadership in response to this equity crisis.”

The Sussexes, like the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, posted an up-to-date snapshot of their son for his birthday.

THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF SUSSEX / ARCHEWELL

Archie is seen carrying a bunch of balloons in the garden of their California home in the latest picture.