Ted Cruz takes aim at Elmo after Sesame Street's nonprofit releases COVID vaccine PSA
NEW YORK (WKRC) - Republican Sen. Ted Cruz is again taking jabs at a kids' show after one of its characters got the COVID-19 vaccine.
On Tuesday, Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind the show "Sesame Street," released a public service announcement on YouTube. It features the beloved muppet Elmo talking to his dad about getting the vaccine.
"There was a little pinch, but it was OK," Elmo said.
"I learned that Elmo getting vaccinated is the best way to keep himself, our friends, our neighbors and everyone else healthy and enjoying the things they love," Elmo's dad, Louie, said after revealing he had a lot of questions about Elmo getting the vaccine and spoke to Elmo's pediatrician in order to make the right choice.
The PSA comes after the FDA and CDC officially recommended the COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 6 months and 4 years old, the last group eligible for the shot.
But not everybody was happy about the "Sesame Street" character getting vaccinated. Cruz wrote on Twitter Wednesday:
"Thanks, @sesamestreet for saying parents are allowed to have questions! You then have @elmo aggressively advocate for vaccinating children UNDER 5. But you cite ZERO scientific evidence for this."
However, according to Sesame Workshop, the PSA was produced in partnership with the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
"Many parents understandably have questions about the COVID-19 vaccines for young children, and we want to encourage them to ask questions and seek out information. With help from Elmo and his dad Louie, we want to model real conversations, encourage parents' questions, and help children know what to expect," said Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, the senior vice president of U.S. social impact for Sesame Workshop.
Cruz also took aim at "Sesame Street's" Big Bird in November after the muppet tweeted he received his vaccine. Cruz called the tweet "government propaganda."
