Dolly Parton has received the COVID-19 vaccine. The country music legend shared a picture on social media of her getting the vaccine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, along with the caption, “Dolly gets a dose of her own medicine,” referencing the generous one million dollar donation she made to fund research in finding an effective vaccine.
Dolly gets a dose of her own medicine. @VUMChealth pic.twitter.com/JMPQb6zJWd
— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) March 2, 2021
Parton previously said she would not use her notoriety nor her influence to get the vaccine ahead of the appropriate time.
“I’m not going to get mine until some more people get theirs,” Parton stated (via WKRN). “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,” she continued. “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.”
Parton also said that, while her donation might seem substantial to some, she was just doing what she felt was right for her to do.
“I follow my heart,” Parton said. “I’m a person of faith and I pray all the time that God will lead me into the right direction and let me know what to do. When the pandemic first hit, that was my first thought, ‘I need to do something to try to help find a vaccination.’ 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,” she added. “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.”
Parton recently requested that a bill be removed that would have erected a statue of her at the Tennessee State Capitol Grounds.
“I want to thank the Tennessee legislature for their consideration of a bill to erect a statue of me on the Capitol grounds,” Parton wrote. “I am honored and humbled by their intention but I have asked the leaders of the state legislature to remove the bill from any and all consideration.
“Given all that is going on in the world, I don’t think putting me on a pedestal is appropriate at this time,” she continued. “I hope, though, that somewhere down the road several years from now or perhaps after I’m gone if you still feel I deserve it, then I’m certain I will stand proud in our great State Capitol as a grateful Tennessean. In the meantime, I’ll continue to try to do good work to make this great state proud.”