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Dolly Parton Hasn't Gotten the COVID Vaccine Yet After Helping Fund Research: 'I'm Going to Wait'

People logo People 2/02/2021 19:50:04 Tomás Mier
Dolly Parton smiling for the camera: David Becker/Getty © Provided by PeopleDavid Becker/Getty

She's gonna get it... just not yet!

Dolly Parton revealed on Tuesday in an interview with The Associated Press that she has yet to get her COVID vaccine, but she's going to get it eventually - and on camera!

"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," the 75-year-old - who is now eligible for the vaccine - told AP. "I'm very funny about that. I'm going to get mine though, but I'm going to wait."

Dolly Parton smiling for the camera: "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," she said. "Hopefully it'll encourage people" © David Becker/Getty"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," she said. "Hopefully it'll encourage people"

"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 added.

Parton explained that she's definitely "going to get it" and she wants her shot to encourage others to do the same. (Perhaps she'll get the Moderna vaccine she helped fund!)

Dolly Parton wearing a wedding dress: Getty © Provided by PeopleGetty

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"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," she said. "Hopefully it'll encourage people. I'm not going to jump the line just because I could."

The singer also spoke to AP about donating $1 million to coronavirus research at the start of the pandemic.

"I follow my heart. 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,'" she said. "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."

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RELATED: Dolly Parton Is 'Not Sure' She'd Accept Medal of Freedom from Joe Biden After Twice Declining Donald Trump

"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," she added.

Back in April, she went on Today to talk about why she decided to donate the money to vaccine research.

"I'm just happy that anything I do can help somebody else," she said on Today. "When I donated the money to the COVID fund, I just wanted it to do good and evidently, it is!"

"Let's just hope we can find a cure real soon," she added.

And now, the vaccine she helped fund is here with 26.5 million people getting their first dose in the U.S., according to Bloomberg.

As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from the CDC, WHO and local public health departments. PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMe to raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, click here.

mardi 2 février 2021 21:50:04 Categories: People

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