Dolly Parton Says She Won't Get The Covid-19 Vaccine 'Until More People Get Theirs'

Dolly Parton has said she's not going to get the Covid-19 vaccination until more people have had theirs because she doesn't want to seem as if she's jumping the queue because she donated money to the development.

The 75-year-old parted with $1 million (£730,000), giving it to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee to aid research.

PA

The '9 to 5' singer told AP that she made the donation because when the pandemic first hit she thought 'I need to do something to try and help find a vaccination'.

She said: "I just did some research with the people at Vanderbilt [University] - 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.

"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."

PA

When it comes to getting her own shot, she went on to add: "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. I'm going to get mine though, but I'm going to wait. I'm at the age where I could have gotten mine legally last week. 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. None of my work is really like that.

"I wasn't doing it for a show. I'm going to get mine. I want it. I'm going to get it.

"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. I'm not going to jump the line just because I could."

PA

Parton donated the money back in April after one of her friends who was working towards the vaccine said they had made progress.

It was Dr Naji Abumrad - who Dolly knew when he treated her after she was involved in a car accident in 2013 - that alerted her to it.

Dr Abumrad works for the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation at Vanderbilt University.

Topics: Entertainment, Celebrity, Dolly Parton

Rebecca Shepherd

I'm Becky - a journalist at LADbible. I graduated with a First Class BA in Journalism before going on to cover criminal court cases, medical tribunals and breaking news for the national media - which inevitably and eventually became as glum as it sounds. Can often be found rocking a bag for life - which I made a 'thing' way before Rihanna. You can contact me at [email protected]

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