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Elmo gets his COVID-19 vaccine shot: 'A little pinch, but that was OK'

The beloved "Sesame Street" Muppet appeared in a Sesame Workshop public service announcement.
/ Source: TODAY

Can you tell me how to get to the "Sesame Street" vaccine center?

Elmo seems to have found it, based on a new Sesame Workshop public service announcement tweeted Tuesday morning by the "Sesame Street" account.

"It’s okay to have questions about COVID-19 vaccines for children!" the tweet reads. "Elmo’s dad Louie talked to their pediatrician, and learned that Elmo getting vaccinated is the best way to keep him and his whole neighborhood safe and healthy! #CaringForEachOther"

In the video, Elmo says, "There was a little pinch, but it was OK," and his father tells him he was "super duper" for getting it done.

“Was it safe? Was it the right decision? I talked to our pediatrician so I could make the right choice," Louie says to the camera during the PSA. "I learned that Elmo getting vaccinated is the best way to keep himself, our friends, neighbors and everyone else healthy and enjoying the things they love."

While vaccines for adults have been available for some time, in mid-June the Food and Drug Administration began authorizing shots for children under 5 years old and as young as 6 months.

"With help from Elmo and his dad Louie, we want to model real conversations, encourage parents’ questions, and help children know what to expect," Jeanette Betancourt, senior vice president of U.S. social impact at Sesame Workshop, said in a statement.

Elmo checks out his brand-new bandage after getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
Elmo checks out his brand-new bandage after getting a COVID-19 vaccine.Sesame Street Workshop

The spot was created along with partners the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Not everyone has found it charming and informative; on Tuesday, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas tweeted, "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."

Elmo is not the only "Sesame Street" character to be vaccinated; Big Bird got a shot in 2021, tweeting out at the time, "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."

At the time, Cruz and other conservatives were unhappy with that development, too.

Sesame Workshop suggests that anyone who wants more information about COVID-19 vaccines should go to GetVaccineAnswers.orgDeTiDepende.org and vaccines.gov.