Popular comedic series like Family Guy usually steer clear of serious topics like the COVID-19 pandemic to focus on light-hearted entertainment. However, given the show’s wide audience reach, its creators saw an opportunity to deliver a positive message through a brief Public Service Announcement (PSA).
Creator Seth MacFarlane, along with the show’s writers and a team of experts in epidemiology and science, produced a short video emphasizing the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19. The PSA, shared on Twitter and YouTube, features characters Stewie, Brian, and Peter (voiced by MacFarlane) visiting the doctor for a vaccine, with Peter initially hesitant. To illustrate the significance of the vaccine, Stewie and Brian embark on an animated journey inside Peter’s body, similar to Mr. Peabody & Sherman, to elucidate how vaccines function.
Watch the new #FamilyGuy Short! Stewie and Brian travel inside Peter’s body to explain how vaccines work.
Have questions about the COVID-19 vaccines? Visit https://t.co/Yz9vi7AYYD for the most accurate and timely facts so we can all get back to the moments we love and miss most. pic.twitter.com/d08P2VjlcU
— Family Guy (@FamilyGuyonFOX) September 21, 2021
“Vaccines protect us by stimulating our immune system to fight illnesses without causing infection, thus preparing the body to combat actual threats. Some COVID vaccines operate by introducing proteins to the immune system that resemble the virus’s spike proteins but are harmless,” explains Stewie, as white blood cells depicted as Meg fend off virus-like threats. He also highlights how vaccination safeguards the body and stresses the importance of widespread vaccination. Despite some initial hesitation over a Bart Simpson Band-Aid, Peter ultimately agrees to get vaccinated after understanding the explanation.
“We were honored to collaborate with leading experts in immunology and epidemiology for this PSA. Although we may not have grasped all the technical details they provided, we appreciated their insights,” expressed the show’s executive producers and showrunners, Rich Appel and Alec Sulkin.
