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- Dolly Parton doesn’t want to look like she’s “jumping the line” when she gets a COVID-19 vaccine.
- The country music star donated $1 million to coronavirus research in November.
- Parton became eligible to get her shot in Tennessee when she turned 75 last week.
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Despite donating $1 million to research that helped develop Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, Dolly Parton doesn’t want special treatment when it comes to getting vaccinated.
The country music legend said she’s not going to get her shot “until some more people get theirs,” in a recent interview with the Associated Press.
“I don’t want it to look like I’m jumping the line just because I donated money,” Parton told the outlet. “I’m very funny about that.”
Parton helped fund the Vanderbilt University research that eventually led to the development of the Moderna-NIH vaccine now being rolled out across the US, Insider’s Juliana Kaplan reported in November.
The singer has a history of philanthropy, promoting literacy via the Imagination Library and donating to families affected by wildfires in her home state of Tennessee via the “My People Fund.“
When asked about her $1 million contribution to coronavirus research, Parton told the AP, "I get a lot more credit than I deserve."
Parton qualified to get the vaccine in Tennessee when she turned 75 last week
While not everyone who qualifies for a COVID-19 vaccine can get one, Parton, who lives in Nashville, is officially eligible to receive hers, according to the Tennessee Department of Health guidelines.
The singer turned 75 last week, and her home state has been offering vaccines to people aged 75 and older since January 1. As of this week, Tennesseeans age 70 and up are also eligible to receive vaccines.
Parton told the AP she thought about getting her shot on her birthday, but she didn't want to look like she was "doing a show." But when the time comes, she said she's likely to share her vaccine experience with the public.
"When I get it, I'll probably do it on camera so people will know," Parton told the AP. "And I'll tell them the truth, if I have symptoms and all that. Hopefully it'll encourage people."