Dolly Parton wants others to get the vaccine before her
National treasure Dolly Parton, who just turned 75 but will forever look 35, is now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. But she admitted this week she hasn’t gotten the shot yet, even though she donated $1 million to its development.
The world learned late last year that the “9-to-5” singer donated the money to Moderna from her Dolly Parton COVID-19 Research Fund. According to The Guardian, Parton also funded research into COVID-19 treatments, including a convalescent plasma at Vanderbilt University. Parton herself has been credited in a number of research papers about the virus, because their studies were conducted with money from her large donation. But that doesn’t mean the icon thinks she deserves the shot before anyone else.
"I didn't want to jump line," says Dolly Parton, who donated $1 million to Covid-19 vaccine development. "I didn't donate the money so I could be protected. I did it for everybody." https://t.co/tcs6zn3BH8
— CNN (@CNN) February 2, 2021
“I’m going to get it, though,” she told CNN. “I didn’t want to jump the line. I didn’t donate the money so I could be protected. I did it for everybody.”
According to the CDC, approximately 20.7 million people have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and that about 3.8 million people have been fully vaccinated. The Moderna vaccine requires two shots 28 days apart. “Based on evidence from clinical trials, the Moderna vaccine was 94.1% effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 illness,” the organization said.
got the dolly parton vaccine today! pic.twitter.com/VZWBBrnO5g
— ♡ (@kaseydiIIa) January 30, 2021
Parton isn’t one to stand around waiting. Until she can get the vaccination, she recently used her famous song, “9 to 5,” and reworked it for a Super Bowl add as “5 to 9” for website building and e-commerce platform Squarespace.
Thank you scientists, healthcare workers, and Dolly Parton 💉 #covid19 #vaccine pic.twitter.com/YSY0JeX10r
— Caitlin Bloomer (@BloomerCaitlin) February 2, 2021
“I thought, well, why not?” she said of the ad and new lyrics. “You know, everybody knows the song as it is, but like me, so many people are working 9 to 5 and 5 to 9, all the time.”
She continued: “A lot of people through the years have wanted to change the lyrics to fit certain things they’re doing. I really thought that was a wonderful thing, especially for Squarespace. They’re so into people, new entrepreneurs working after hours to start their own businesses,” Parton said. “‘5 to 9’ seemed to be a perfect thing when they pitched it.”
Here’s hoping Parton gets the vaccine soon because we need her to be protected forever.
