Mark Hamill Shares Old ‘Star Wars’ Campaign To Immunize Children

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November 8, 2021, 9:15 am

Conservatives got all up in arms over the weekend over a tweet from Big Bird — yes, the Sesame Street character — saying he had been vaccinated against COVID-19, calling it propaganda and forcing a leftist agenda. In response, people have been reminding folks that fictional characters have advocated for health, science, and specifically, vaccines for children for decades now.

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One of the biggest examples being passed around is Star Wars. Droids C-3PO and R2D2 were part of a campaign aimed at getting children immunized against whooping cough, not because of politics but because public health is something that impacts everyone.

Man, wait until antivax politicians find out about how R2-D2 and C-3PO tried to encourage vaccination… in 1978. Almost like this isn’t a new thing and programs that cater to kids want to keep them safe and healthy. pic.twitter.com/Q5nfH5TVsj

— Dr. Tara C. Smith (@aetiology) November 7, 2021

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“Come along R2, you can’t have whooping cough,” C-3PO tells his buddy in a TV spot from the ‘70s. “Droids don’t get dangerous diseases like whooping cough or measles. But children do, and they can get very sick, or even die.”

He continues: “Parents of earth, childhood diseases can be prevented. Call your doctor or local health department. Immunize your children. Please. And may the force be with you.”

I had no idea this was ever done. I should have been at least 12-yrs old then. I was a huge Star Wars fan as a child & I still am today, 40-plus yrs later.

— Kittie Dailey (@DaileyKittie) November 7, 2021

Mark Hamill, who of course played Luke Skywalker throughout the films, shared the reminder while pointing out that there was a time “before science was politicized.”

And took a jab at the criticisms of Big Bird, too.

People are pulling up other old campaigns from fictional characters.

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The day was saved by a guy in a mask

— LouZealand (@zealand_lou) November 8, 2021

Okay, first it was Big Bird, then it was the Droids. It seems like the only people who are anti-vax are menaces…

…except even Dennis is pro-vaccination. #GetVaccinated pic.twitter.com/WJ17Hey5OZ

— 𝘿𝙧. 𝙕𝙞𝙜 — #WearAMask #GetVaccinated (@ziggafoss) November 7, 2021

in the end, i think it’s *andy’s performance of rafe’s funeral* that does the trick. rafe is like: GET THE NURSE. he gets vaccinated. mary checks her list and notices barney isn’t vaccinated yet either (of course) so he gets the shot too. pic.twitter.com/wA3E9xWlna

— Jen Rice (@jen_rice_) September 9, 2021

In honor of my first vaccine shot yesterday, here’s a “Peanuts” strip from January 3, 1967, that perfectly captures the moment. pic.twitter.com/N4qjy5nGYA

— Luke Epplin (@LukeEpplin) April 2, 2021

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None of this will do much to convince anti-vaxxers or conservative politicians who feel the need to put on a show for their anti-vax constituents to get it together and believe in science, but it’s at least pushing back on the claims that this is all some new “woke” agenda. It’s the people who don’t believe in or support public health initiatives who have lost the thread here. Big Bird is doing just fine.

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*First Published: November 8, 2021, 9:15 am