Actor and musician Chet Hanks went on an anti-vaccine rant Tuesday despite his parents being among the first to announce they had contracted COVID-19 at the outset of the pandemic more than a year ago.
In his video posted to Instagram — which includes language that might not be suitable for all ages — Chet Hanks tells his followers to get vaccinated and to take the pandemic seriously before shouting, “Psych!”
He went on to suggest that people should “stay inside” if they’re not feeling well because he’s tired of “working around” those in danger. Hanks also noted that people should “get over” COVID-19.
“I’ve never had Covid. They ain’t sticking me with that [expletive] needle. It’s the [expletive] flu. Get over it,” Chet said.
Reactions to his video have been mixed. One user commented, “Rita come get your son.” Another praised Hanks, writing, “Good stuff Chet thanks for not going along with the BS.”
Chet’s father, Tom Hanks, has a different opinion on how to handle the COVID-19 virus.
“The idea of doing one’s part, though, should be so simple — wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands,” Hanks said on “TODAY” last year.
Coronavirus cases have been on the rise in the U.S. as the delta variant surges across the country.
As of Tuesday, nearly half of all Americans are completely vaccinated, however, “unvaccinated persons remain the largest concern,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
“Although breakthrough infections happen much less often than infections in unvaccinated people, individuals infected with the Delta variant, including fully vaccinated people with symptomatic breakthrough infections, can transmit it to others,” the CDC said in a statement last week.
“CDC is continuing to assess data on whether fully vaccinated people with asymptomatic breakthrough infections can transmit. However, the greatest risk of transmission is among unvaccinated people who are much more likely to contract, and therefore transmit the virus.”
On March 11, 2020, Tom Hanks announced on social media that he and his wife, Rita Wilson, had tested positive for COVID-19 while filming a movie in Australia.
It was the same month that the virus was declared a global pandemic.
At the time, Chet Hanks went on Instagram to provide updates on their conditions.
“Yeah, it’s true,” Chet said in a video clip. “My parents got Coronavirus. Crazy. They’re both down in Australia right now because my dad was shooting a movie down there but I just got off the phone with them. They both are fine, they’re not even that sick. They’re not worried about it, they’re not trippin’ but they’re going through the necessary health precautions, obviously.”
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