Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) labeled a tweet from Big Bird, ‘government propaganda’ after the Sesame Street character said he got vaccinated.
“I got the COVID-19 vaccine today! My wing is feeling a little sore, but it’ll give my body an extra protective boost that keeps me and others healthy,” the account under Big Bird’s name wrote on Twitter.
Earlier on Saturday, Big Bird and other Sesame Street characters appeared on CNN for a townhall where the network’s chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and anchor Erica Hill answered questions about the COVID-19 vaccine for kids.
The Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization to Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine for young children ages 5-11 on October 29.
Still, the right, led by Sen. Cruz blasted the tweet from Big Bird.
“Government propaganda…for your 5 year old!,” Cruz wrote.
Cruz was not the only one.
“This kind of propaganda is actually evil,” Newsmax host Steve Cortes wrote. “Your children are not statistically at risk, and should not be pressured into a brand new treatment. Do Not Comply!”
Fox News contributor Lisa Boothe and right wing political commentator Michael Cernovich also criticized the Sesame Street character for promoting vaccinations.
Big Bird has been in campaigns promoting vaccines dating back to the 1970s. A Twitter account named Muppet Wiki posted a video of the character participating in a public health campaign telling children “don’t wait- vaccinate,” in 1972.
