Willie Nelson gives a thumbs-up after receiving Covid-19 vaccine in Texas
AUSTIN, Texas — A famous Texan is proving that getting vaccinated is "Willie" cool.
Willie Nelson is among the many Americans who signed up to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.
During his drive-through vaccination this week in Austin, a masked Nelson posed for a series of pictures, offering the camera a thumbs-up as he received his dose of the vaccine. The Texas-based Family Hospital Systems shared the images on its Facebook page, encouraging everyone to sign up for their shots and stating that “getting your Covid vaccine is Willie cool!”
The "On the Road Again" singer shared the post to his own Facebook page, writing: "Get your shot! Take care of yourself and others. #slowthespreadofcovid19."
Nelson, at age 87, is among the first mainstream country stars to publicly receive the Covid-19 vaccine, though many of his fellow artists have battled the virus.
John Prine, Joe Diffie and Charley Pride all died of complications of Covid-19 in 2020. Country stars such as Tyler Hubbard, Lee Brice, Runaway June’s Jennifer Wayne and Natalie Stovall have spoken about their experiences contracting the disease.
Nelson, who turns 88 in April, is included in the first phases of the vaccine distribution in Texas.
At this time, vaccines are only available to those in Phase 1A and 1B, which include health care workers, those over 65 years old and those with chronic health conditions that put them at high risk for serious illness due to Covid-19.