Covid vaccine that is 95-percent effective partially funded by Dolly Parton
© Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage
Music icon Dolly Parton has been revealed to be one of the major funders of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine, which is said to be nearly 95 percent effective, according to early data.
In April, the 9 to 5 songwriter and country music legend posted on Instagram that she donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University's Medical Center in honour of her friend, Dr Najj Abumrad, a professor of surgery whom she befriended many years ago after seeking treatment for injuries sustained during a car accident.
The New England Journal of Medicine's recent story about the Moderna vaccine's efficacy through trials and clinical research lists The Dolly Parton Covid-19 Research Fund as a chief supporter.
Parton's donation has also supported a study of convalescent plasma. In addition to being an entertainment industry superstar, she is a well-known philanthropist, whose efforts include providing free books to children, and funding a women's services center at a Tennessee hospital, among others.
She will next be seen in her Netflix movie-musical Christmas on the Square, while 9 to 5 is set to return for a new tour in 2021.
The Moderna vaccine is one of two vaccines that are seemingly on the cusp of distribution (pending regulatory approval) – though the UK will only has access to around 5 million Moderna jabs in Spring 2021, enough to vaccinate 2.5 million people.
