Nashville gospel legend on COVID-19 vaccine: 'I prayed about it before I went in to get'

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Saturday, hundreds of North Nashville seniors bundled up to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated for COVID-19, including a local gospel legend.

Bobby Jones is from Music City and produces his songs here, he even has a long running show on cable television. He says the pandemic has seriously impacted his life's passion.

“I want us all to be well so we can continue the functions we did prior. I haven’t been able to sing in my choir or tape my television shows since March, that's a long time, so I'm hoping we can function in a normal sense very shortly,” explains Jones.

Like so many of us- Jones says he’s felt the stress of it all, the weight of the uncertainty.

But Saturday, Jones took what he believes to be a major step toward normalcy - getting his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at Meharry Medical Center.

“I prayed about it before I went in to get it,” says Jones. “It was not intrusive, there was no pain in getting it, the shot itself. I feel I have done what I’m supposed to have been done to take care of myself and others around me because once we get protected it will help us when we go around others, so they won't receive the virus from us.”

This weekend marked the first of many more where Meharry will vaccinate members of the community over 75 by appointment.

“Meharry is well poised to do this, we've been doing this kind of work for 144 years,” says Dexter Samuels, VP of Student Affairs.

“We really have to get control of this disease, it's really taking over so many lives it's important to vaccinate as many people as possible.”

Samuels says there is no shortage of the vaccine right now, so Meharry will be able to host these vaccinations on a weekly basis.