George Takei encourages 'Star Trek' fans to get the COVID-19 vaccine

Watch: Star Trek’s George Takei endorses the COVID vaccine

By Ethan Alter

As Lieutenant Sulu, George Takei may not have been the ranking science officer aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise — that job fell to Leonard Nimoy’s Spock — but the Star Trek helmsman is still a firm believer in medical science.

The outspoken actor and activist recently confirmed his strong support for vaccinations as the first COVID-19 vaccines make their way to the public, encountering resistance from anti-vaccination groups along the way.

But Takei, for one, believes that their resistance is futile.

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“If you are a Star Trek fan, but you refuse to get vaccinated, then you are not living up to the ideals of ‘Star Trek,’” he wrote on Twitter. “Science, logic, and compassion require us all to do our part.”

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Takei has vocally supported the efforts and advice of America’s top medical experts, including National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Earlier this week, he celebrated the news that President-elect Joe Biden asked Fauci to remain on as chief medical advisor when he enters the Oval Office on Jan. 20.

He’s also been merciless in his critiques of President Trump’s response to the coronavirus. “This pandemic. [it’s been] a six-, seven-month period, 200,000 people have died and it’s because of our so-called ‘mad leader’ and our Republican senators turning into zombies,” Takei told Yahoo Entertainment in October.

“They have no mind of their own. When we had the impeachment, [it was] as if they had taken their minds out, and given it over to the mad dictator. That’s the climate we’re living in now. It’s a test of us.”

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Not surprisingly, Takei’s endorsement of vaccination — and his pointed message to Star Trek fans — has inspired much Twitter discussion amongst Trekkers and non-Trekkers alike.

Star Trek: The Original Series is currently streaming on Netflix.