Country legend Dolly Parton helps fund COVID-19 breakthrough vaccine
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The “Jolene” singer-songwriter donated $1M in April to support a research intended to develop a vaccine against the deadly coronavirus.
The race for an effective COVID-19 cure got more interesting following reports that the vaccine being developed by US-based biotechnology company Moderna showed promising results.
Source: Dolly Parton (Instagram)
The Moderna vaccine reportedly exhibited 94.5% efficacy in dealing with the virus.
That number is notably higher than the 90% efficacy rate announced by Pfizer and BioNTech for their vaccine.
Both vaccines are still in advanced clinical trial tests but are now the frontrunners among other healthcare companies working non-stop to produce an effective treatment against COVID-19.
Moderna's progress can be attributed to the tireless efforts of its scientists, biotechnologists, researchers, and donors - and that includes country singer, Dolly Parton.
The 74-year-old singer-songwriter donated $1M back in April to Vanderbilt University Medical Center's research on the coronavirus.
That key research would help Moderna in the development of its COVID-19 vaccine.
Parton made the donation after she was told by Dr. Naji Abumrad of the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation about “exciting advancements” in their studies about the virus.
The legendary singer and Dr. Abumrad became friends after the latter treated Parton following a car accident in 2014.
Parton's involvement in the breakthrough drug was highlighted after a report in the New England Journal of Medicine on the Moderna vaccine cited Dolly Parton COVID-19 Research Fund as one of the donors.
Parton started as a songwriter for other artists before releasing her debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly, in 1967.
The Tennessee-native would enjoy a successful career as a country singer-songwriter, with hits such as “9 to 5,” “It's All Wrong, But It's All Right,” and “Here You Come Again,” among others.
A new generation of music fans would get to know her songs through the rendition of modern artists like Whitney Houston's version of “I Will Always Love You” in 1992, and the White Stripes' take on Parton's 1973 hit, “Jolene,” in 2000.
Parton was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
