COVID-19: Sesame Street’s Elmo Now Vaccinated Against COVID-19, Urges Kids to Get Vaccinated

Elmo, the bubbly red Muppet beloved worldwide, is now vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Sesame Workshop, which is the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, released a public service announcement on Tuesday. It revealed that Elmo, who is three and a half years old in Sesame Street's setting, is now vaccinated, and they are urging other kids to get vaccinated as well.

Elmo's father, Louie, who is also a Muppet, talked about getting his child vaccinated. He answered several questions often asked about children receiving the potentially life-saving vaccine. He said that he talked with Elmo's pediatrician about getting one and learned that it was the best way to keep not only Elmo and himself safe but also their friends, neighbors, and everyone else.

The PSA comes as COVID-19 vaccines are now made available for children below five years of age.

READ NEXT: Florida Refuses to Distribute COVID-19 Vaccines for Kids Under 5, but State Doctors Can

Sesame Street Aims to Spread Information About COVID-19 Vaccines for Children

In a statement to CNN, Sesame Workshop's Senior Vice President for U.S. Social Impact Jeanette Betancourt acknowledged that parents will indeed be asking questions regarding the safety of the vaccines. However, she said that they hope Louie and Elmo will inspire parents and caregivers across the country to speak to their healthcare providers and get more information about the vaccines.

Emergency use authorization for the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines has already been given by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for children below five years of age earlier this month. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine advisers also voted unanimously to recommend that children below five should also get vaccinated.

The Sesame Street PSA received praise from doctors, including CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen. Wen, who is the mother of two small children, said that her kids have already received their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

She acknowledges that people are still on the fence about giving their children the vaccine and said that the Sesame Street PSA also did a good job in acknowledging those questions as well. She also praised it for urging parents to seek out the person they should trust the most about the health of their children, which is their pediatrician.

Ted Cruz Predictably Bashes Sesame Street PSA

After picking a fight with Big Bird over the COVID-19 vaccine last year, conservative Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz blasted Sesame Street once again, this time for Elmo and his dad's PSA. In a tweet, Cruz wrote that while Elmo's father urged parents to ask questions, Elmo was still blatantly advocating for kids to get the shot. He then said that the PSA cited zero scientific evidence.

The tweet did not get over too well, with Twitter users blasting Cruz for his usual anti-vaccine rhetoric. Some tweets were scathing in their criticisms of Cruz's "hypocrisy," while some merely poked fun at the Texas Senator's expense.

According to The Guardian, Sesame Street has long become a target for the U.S. political right. The children's show has taken a stand on various issues, which range from LGBTQ rights to vaccination and even racial justice following the death of George Floyd.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Sesame Street: Elmo Gets the COVID-19 Vaccine | PSA - Sesame Street