Dolly Parton’s COVID-19 Vaccine Shot comes with a ‘Jolene’ twist

Dolly Parton has received her first shot of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine and, as it should be, she made the occasion sparkle a little extra.

On Tuesday, the country icon posted a short video to her social media accounts in which Dr. Naji Abumrad, a professor of surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and an old friend, administered the shot.

But just before masking in preparation for the proceedings, Parton sang a few lines from “Jolene,” reworking the lyrics into her 1973 classic to fit the moment.

“Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine,” she sang. “I beg you, please don’t hesitate.”

The video contained a targeted message to anti-vaxxers and those who may be about to make their vaccine appointments as well.

“The sooner we start feeling better, the sooner we start feeling normal again,” she said. ‘I just want to say to you cowards, don’t be such a chicken coop! Get out there and have a chance. “

Parton captioned the post: ‘Dolly gets a dose of her own medicine,’ referring to the $ 1 million donation she made to Vanderbilt University last year to fund research into the coronavirus vaccine.

But despite that donation, the nine-time Grammy winner said last month that she planned to wait “until more people get theirs.”

“If I get it, I’ll probably do it in front of the camera so that people know and I’ll tell them the truth, if I have symptoms and all,” she told The Associated Press in an interview. Hopefully it will encourage people. I’m not going to cross the line just because I could. ”