17 November 2020
Newsdesk
Dolly Parton has helped fund research on a promising new Covid-19 vaccine.
On Monday, executives at U.S. pharmaceuticals firm Moderna announced they had completed late phase three trials on their mRNA-1273 vaccine and that it appears to be 95 per cent effective in stopping cases of the virus.
Moderna's experts collaborated on vaccine studies with scientists from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, an institution which received $1 million (£760,000) from the country star to help find a cure for Covid-19.
In a new research paper on the vaccine published in the New England Medical Journal, the 9 to 5 singer's contribution is acknowledged, with the "Dolly Parton Covid-19 Research Fund" credited in the disclosure notes.
Announcing her donation to vaccine research in April, the 9 to 5 singer wrote on Instagram: "My longtime friend Dr. Naji Abumrad, whos been involved in research at Vanderbilt for many years, informed me that they were making some exciting advancements towards research of the coronavirus for a cure.
"I am making a donation of $1 million to Vanderbilt towards that research and to encourage people that can afford it to make donations."
Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine is now awaiting final approval from medical officials in the U.S. and around the world, and if it's certified as safe, it could begin being rolled out as early as next month.
