London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jun 17, 2026

Dolly Parton Received A Dose Of The COVID Vaccine She Helped To Fund

Dolly Parton Received A Dose Of The COVID Vaccine She Helped To Fund

"Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaciiiiiiine," she sang. "I'm begging of you, please don't hesitate."


Dolly Parton — singer, actor, icon, and pharmaceutical benefactor — received on Tuesday her first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine she helped to fund.

"I'm so excited. I've been waiting a while," the singer told fans in a video posted to Twitter from Nashville's Vanderbilt University. "I'm old enough to get it, and I'm smart enough to get it."

Last year, Parton's fund donated $1 million for research to develop the vaccine.

"When I donated the money to the COVID fund, I just wanted it to do good and evidently it is," she said when Moderna's first highly successful results were revealed in November.

But despite her donation, Parton was adamant that she had to wait in line until it was her time to receive a dose.

"I don't want it to look like I'm jumping the line just because I donated money," she said last month.

Well, her time finally came on Tuesday, and she was in a singing mood as she rewrote her classic song "Jolene" in a bid to encourage fans to follow suit.

"Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaciiiiiiine, I'm begging of you please don't hesitate," she sang. "Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaciiiiiiine, because once you're dead, then that's a bit too late."


Parton received her dose from Naji Abumrad, a professor of surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, who took a couple of minutes to administer it.

"It didn't take this long to film 9 to 5," Parton joked.

More than 78 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the US so far.

President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that there would be enough supplies of the shots by the end of May — two months earlier than previously expected — because pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. has agreed to help produce supplies of competitor Johnson & Johnson's single-dose vaccine.

Parton said having enough people vaccinated would eventually help life return to normal.

"That would be a great shot in the arm, wouldn't it?" she joked.

As for anyone hesitating, Parton had a simple message: "Don't be such a chicken squat."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Government Advances New Airport Slot Rules to Ease Airline Operating Constraints
BBC Opens Flagship Science-Fiction Franchise to Competitive Production Bids
Chancellor Meets City Leaders Amid Concerns Over Gilt Market Liquidity
Rathbones Shares Fall Seventeen Percent After Regulatory Review Reveals Compliance Failings
United Kingdom Joins Group of Seven Initiative Using Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing for Cancer Research
Parliament Debates Doubling Tax Allowance for Pensioners After Major Public Petition
Measles Cases Exceed Seven Hundred in London and the West Midlands
British Military Leadership Faces Parliamentary Scrutiny After Defence Secretary's Sudden Resignation
House of Lords Begins Debate on Steel Industry Nationalisation Legislation
Parliament Advances Bill to Abolish NHS England and Create Single Patient Records
Parliament Fast-Tracks National Security Bill to Expand Powers Against Foreign Threats
United Kingdom and European Union Set July Summit to Deepen Post-Brexit Cooperation
United Kingdom Imposes Seventy New Sanctions on Russia and Expands Support for Ukraine's Nuclear Sector
United Kingdom Announces Social Media Ban for Children Under Sixteen
0British Government Investigates Reports of Russian Warship Firing Warning Shots Near Isle of Wight
UK Supreme Court Revises Legal Definition of Deprivation of Liberty
King’s Birthday Honours Recognise Contributions Across Science, Culture and Public Service
UK Ministry of Defence Reports Interdiction of Russian Shadow Fleet Vessel
UK and US Launch Joint Regulatory Programme for Medicines and Healthcare Products
Solicitor General Refers Murder Sentence to Court of Appeal Under Unduly Lenient Scheme
UK Launches £1.6 Million Mobile Museum Initiative to Expand Cultural Access
Judicial Pay Structure Undergoes Government Review Following Senior Recommendations
Government Confirms Nearly 180 New Youth Hubs Across the United Kingdom
UK Government Expands Careers Support Through Partnership with LinkedIn
Digital News Report Highlights Growing Global Concern Over AI and Information Overload
UK Chancellor Reaffirms Fiscal Discipline and Borrowing Reduction Strategy
UK Government Invests £219 Million in Sustainable Aviation Fuel Development
Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactors Secures Major Swedish Export Contract
Government Confirms Locations for Nearly 180 Youth Hubs Across Great Britain
UK Government Partners with LinkedIn to Expand Employment Support Services
Reuters Institute Report Flags Rising Public Anxiety Over News and Information Overload
UK Government Commits £219 Million to Expand Sustainable Aviation Fuel Industry
Chancellor Convenes Market Engagement Group to Assess UK Economic Outlook and Productivity Risks
Rolls-Royce Wins Multibillion-Pound Swedish Contract for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors
Government to Ban Social Media Access for Under-Sixteens Across the United Kingdom
Government Approves Fast-Tracked Broadcast Merger Reshaping UK's Media Landscape
Resignation of Defence Secretary John Healey Triggers Debate Over UK Military Strategy
Britain Intensifies Diplomatic Efforts to Support US-Iran Ceasefire
Bank of England Faces Tough Interest Rate Choices After Economic Contraction
Belfast Sees Second Day of Anti-Migrant Riots as Police Deploy Water Cannons
UK Economy Shrinks in April as Energy Price Shocks Weigh on Growth
UK to Ban Social Media Access for Children Under 16 From 2027
UK Parliament Opens Week of Fast-Tracked Security and Infrastructure Legislation
Northern Ireland Projects £21 Million Boost From Major Cultural and Sporting Events
UK and Japan Sign Technology Security Pact to Strengthen AI and Supply Chain Cooperation
UK Welcomes US-Iran Peace Breakthrough Aimed at Restoring Strait of Hormuz Shipping
British Forces Intercept Russian Shadow Fleet Oil Tanker in English Channel Sanctions Operation
UK to Ban Social Media for Under-16s Under Landmark Online Safety Expansion
Anti-Immigrant Riots Spread Across Belfast, Raising Security Concerns
Ministry of Defence Opens Europe's Largest Drone Testing Facility in Swindon
×