NASHVILLE, TN (CelebrityAccess) — A million dollar donation by country music legend Dolly Parton helped to finance the development of one of the most successful COVID-19 vaccine candidates to date.
Parton made the 7-figure contribution to coronavirus research at Vanderbilt University in April in honor of her friend Vanderbilt professor of surgery Dr. Naji Abumrad.
“I felt like this was the time for me to open my heart and my hand and try to help,” Parton said in April during an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show.
Since then, Parton’s contribution has helped to fund research on the Moderna vaccine, which has proven to be almost 95% effective in clinical trials.
In recognition of her donation, Parton’s name appears among other sponsors in the preliminary report on the drug candidate, which was published by New England Journal of Medicine in August.
