Lebanese-American Dr. Naji Abumrad has administered the first dose of the vaccine to his longtime patient and American’s iconic country singer Dolly Parton.
Dr. Abumrad, who has just vaccinated one of America’s cultural treasures upon her own request, received his medical degree from the American University of Beirut (AUB) in 1971, before completing a residency in surgery at the State University of New York (SUNY) in Syracuse.
The 75-year-old singer broke into a reimagined version of her hit song Jolene while getting the Moderna jab shot at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee on Tuesday.
“Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, I’m begging of you, please don’t hesitate,” Parton sang in the video posted on her social media account.
Parton had donated 1 million dollars to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in order to pave the way and facilitate the making of the vaccine.
America’s well-loved singer told the Associated Press last month that she wanted to wait until vaccines were increasingly available because she didn’t want to look like she’s jumping the line.
Now that the vaccine supply has increased in the United States, Parton said she “wanted to encourage everybody” to get theirs.
Even though the singer’s age places her in the priority category for the vaccination, she waited until other elderly and health care workers were vaccinated, unlike our own Lebanese officials who put themselves first.
“I just want to say to all of you cowards out there, don’t be such a chicken squat. Get out there and get your shot,” she said in the video.
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