Dolly Parton Just Revealed Why She Hasn't Gotten the COVID Vaccine
Even though she donated to the vaccine's development, the country star hasn't gotten her shot.
As more and more people sit down for their COVID shot, it's been exciting to see some of our favorite stars get inoculated. While lots of celebrities have received the vaccine with open arms, others have been hesitant to get vaccinated. Singer, actor, and humanitarian Dolly Parton is a particularly notable example of the latter: The country star has yet to get the COVID vaccine, even though she is eligible and donated a substantial amount of money toward its development. To see why Parton hasn't gotten her shot yet, keep reading, and for celebrities who have been vaccinated, Tyler Perry Said He Had These Side Effects From the COVID Vaccine.
Dolly Parton hasn't gotten the COVID vaccine, because she doesn't want people to think she's cutting the line.
On Feb. 2, Parton told the Associated Press (AP) she hasn't gotten the COVID vaccine yet, but that she plans to. "I'm not going to get mine until some more people get theirs. I don't want it to look like I'm jumping the line just because I donated money. I'm very funny about that," Parton explained. "I want it. I'm going to get it."
The singer noted that at age 75 she is currently eligible to get the vaccine in a high-priority group along with anyone over 65 years old. "I turned 75. I was going to do it on my birthday, and I thought, 'Nah, don't do that.' You'll look like you're just doing a show," Parton said. "None of my work is really like that. I wasn't doing it for a show." And for information on where you can get the shot, If You Live in These States, You Can Get a COVID Vaccine at CVS Next Week.
Parton wants to get vaccinated on camera to help educate people.
Although Parton doesn't want to make a spectacle of her vaccination, she does want the public to know when she gets it, so she can help educate people on the process of vaccination and boost their confidence in the vaccine. "When I get it, I'll probably do it on camera so people will know, and I'll tell them the truth if I have symptoms and all that. Hopefully, it'll encourage people," Parton said. And for more vaccine news, If You're Over 65, You Shouldn't Get This New Vaccine, Experts Warn.
The country star donated money to COVID research.
Before any of the COVID vaccines had come to fruition, Parton donated $1 million toward COVID research in April 2020. She told the AP that she invested in the research because she knew it was the right thing to do. "I follow my heart," Parton said. "When the pandemic first hit, that was my first thought: 'I need to do something to try to help find a vaccination.'" She ended up reaching out to an institution she had a long-standing connection with—Vanderbilt University.
"I just did some research with the people at Vanderbilt—they're wonderful people, they've been so good through the years to my people in times of illness and all that. I just asked if I could donate a million dollars to the research for a vaccine," Parton recalled. "I get a lot more credit than I deserve, I think, but I was just happy to be a part of any and all of that." And for more celebrity content delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Parton's money ended up funding research for the Moderna vaccine.
Parton's donation helped fund research for the development of the Moderna vaccine. She learned that her money went to Moderna at the same time the rest of the world did, when her name was listed as a sponsor on a preliminary report on the vaccine.
On Nov. 17, Parton told BBC One's The One Show that she was so excited to learn where her funds had gone. "I'm sure many millions of dollars from many people went into that, but I just felt so proud to have been part of that little seed money that will hopefully grow into something great and help to heal this world," she said. And for vaccine reactions to prepare for, Dr. Fauci Says These 2 Side Effects Mean Your COVID Vaccine Is Working.
