Sesame Street character Elmo is given COVID-19 vaccine shot in PSA urging parents to have children vaccinated
The Sesame Street character Elmo was administered a COVID-19 vaccine shot in a public service announcement the Sesame Workshop released on Tuesday.
The Elmo character in the storyline of the series is three-and-a-half-years-old, and now eligible after the FDA Friday approved Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for children between the ages of five-years-old and six-months-old.
In the spot, Elmo was seen speaking with his father Louie about receiving the shot, saying, ‘Yeah, there was a little pinch. But it was OK!’
The latest: Sesame Street character Elmo was administered a COVID-19 vaccine shot in a public service announcement the Sesame Workshop released on Tuesday
Louie said, ‘Was it safe? Was it the right decision? I talked to our pediatrician so I could make the right choice – 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.’
A tweet from the official Elmo account read: ‘Elmo got the COVID vaccine today, just like Elmo’s mommy and daddy! Elmo’s daddy had a lot of questions, but Elmo’s doctor said the vaccine would help keep Elmo healthy, and all of Elmo’s friends and family too! #CaringForEachOther.’
Elmo is the latest character on the iconic show to receive the vaccine, as a PSA featuring Big Bird (who is six-years-old in the storyline) receiving a vaccine shot in a clip released last November.
Sesame Workshop worked on the clip in a joint venture with the COVID Collaborative’s COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative and the Ad Council, Variety reported. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC were also involved in the project.
The Elmo character in the storyline of the series is three-and-a-half-years-old, and now eligible after the FDA Friday approved Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for children between the ages of five-years-old and six-months-old
In the spot, Elmo was seen speaking with his father Louie about receiving the shot, saying, ‘Yeah, there was a little pinch. But it was OK!’
Louie said, ‘Was it safe? Was it the right decision? I talked to our pediatrician so I could make the right choice – 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’
The Sesame Workshop’s SVP of U.S. social impact, Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, said in a statement that ‘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.’
Under FDA guidelines, children under the age of five are considered fully vaccinated if they are administered two Moderna vaccine doses (25 percent of what adults receive) or three Pfizer BioNTech doses (10 percent of what adults receive) with the initial pair of doses administered three weeks apart, and a third at least eight weeks after the second.
Sesame Workshop also pointed viewers toward sources of information including GetVaccineAnswers.org, DeTiDepende.org and vaccines.gov.
The ad drew criticism from Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who 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.’
A tweet from the official Elmo account read: ‘Elmo got the COVID vaccine today, just like Elmo’s mommy and daddy!’
Sesame Workshop also pointed viewers toward sources of information including GetVaccineAnswers.org, DeTiDepende.org and vaccines.gov
The ad drew criticism from Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who previously spoke out against a spot which featured the character Big Bird being vaccinated
Source: Read Full Article