'A dose of her own medicine’: Dolly Parton gets COVID-19 vaccine that she helped fund
Dolly Parton gets a COVID-19 vaccine.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - In April, country music legend Dolly Parton donated $1 million to help researchers develop Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. Now, Parton has received "a dose of her own medicine."
Parton donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University in 2020 earmarked for vaccine research as scientists rushed to create a shot to protect against COVID-19 amid surging cases and deaths in the U.S. and around the world.
On Tuesday, Parton rolled up her sleeve to receive a shot of the vaccine her donation helped develop.
RELATED: Dolly Parton donated $1M to help researchers develop Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine
"Dolly gets a dose of her own medicine,"" Parton wrote in a post on Twitter with a picture of her getting the vaccine.
"I’m old enough to get it and I’m smart enough to get it," Parton said in a video. "I wanted to tell everybody that I think you should get out there and do it too."
She said she even changed the lyrics to her iconic song "Jolene," to "fit the occasion."
"Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, I’m begging of you please don’t hesitate," Parton sang. "Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, ‘cause once you’re dead, then that’s a bit too late."
"I think we all want to get back to normal, whatever that is, and that would be a great shot in the arm, wouldn’t it, if we could get back to that?" Parton said.
And Parton had a special message for anyone who is scared to roll up their sleeve.
"I just want to say to all of you cowards out there: Don’t be such a chicken-squat. Get out there and get your shot," Parton exhorted, before putting on her mask and getting her own vaccine.
The Grammy-winning legend turned 75 this year. In 2020, she donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, for coronavirus research.
Parton had earlier told The Associated Press that she was going to wait until it became more widely available because she didn't want to look like she was jumping the line.
Parton wore a purple shirt with shoulder cutouts just for the occasion and a matching purple mask. She put on a typical show, laughing, cracking jokes with the doctor and making sure her hair was looking good.
"That didn't hurt. Just stung a little bit," she said afterward. Then she smiled at the camera saying, "I did it! I did it!"
This story was reported from Los Angeles. The Associated Press contributed to this story.