While I normally despise the use of Twitter, it does serve as an effective platform for keeping up with the latest news and trends. However, when I was mindlessly scrolling through my feed of utterly pointless arguments the other day, I witnessed what is sure to be one of the dumbest of the year: Texas Senator Ted Cruz hashing it out with beloved “Sesame Street” character Big Bird.
The feud began just over a week after the FDA granted emergency approval for children aged 5-11 to receive Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.
On Nov. 6, Big Bird tweeted, “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.”
While many efforts are happening across the country to promote children getting vaccinated against COVID-19, these efforts are being set back by Republican party members who protest the vaccine and use their social media platforms to voice their grievances.
This is not the first time “Sesame Street” and its characters have promoted vaccinations. In a 1972 episode, Big Bird and several other children received a measles shot. Similarly in 1976, Big Bird took part in the “Sesame Street” Child Immunization Campaign which promoted vaccinations against polio, whooping cough, measles and many other viruses for inner-city children. The time has come again in which Big Bird, a well-known children’s character, was used to promote a vaccine.
The response was largely supportive, but some criticized Big Bird for promoting the vaccine, stating the decision was ultimately up to parents and the vaccine was essentially useless. Above them all, Cruz’s reaction was the most noteworthy.
Cruz quote tweeted Big Bird’s post and wrote, “Government propaganda… for your 5 year old!”
An ironic statement from a federal government employee — especially considering Cruz has been vaccinated. For Cruz to claim that Big Bird is working for the liberal media as a propagandist holds as little credibility as when the internet believed Cruz was also the Zodiac Killer.
Regardless, Cruz has openly been against any COVID-19 safety measures, such as mask mandates, since the beginning of the pandemic. It comes as no surprise that once the FDA approved Pfizer’s vaccine for children, he would take a stance against the decision. On Nov. 4, Cruz introduced legislation which would ban the federal government and public schools from requiring that children be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Things aren’t quite so grim in Eugene. The 4J School District Chairperson Judy Newman said vaccine mandates are “not out of the realm of possibility” as more children get vaccinated and the district tracks vaccine effectiveness. As it stands currently, children are required to get the polio, tetanus and smallpox vaccines, among others.
So while it may be long into the future until the COVID-19 vaccine is mandated for public school attendance, it is still imperative that children get vaccinated in the meantime.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “As of mid-October 2021, children ages 5 through 11 years have experienced more than 8,300 COVID-19 related hospitalizations and nearly 100 deaths from COVID-19. In fact, COVID-19 ranks as one of the top 10 causes of death for children aged 5 through 11 years.”
Throughout the pandemic, nearly 2 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported in children ages 5-11, the CDC reports. When people refuse to listen to the scientific evidence which states the importance of safety guidelines and the benefits of the vaccine, it is harmful not only to themselves, but others as well. Children who have not yet fully developed their immune systems are set up for suffering as a result of irresponsible ignorance and inaction.
To reduce the virus’ spread and take a step in the right direction, the Eugene School District 4J has partnered with Lane County Public Health to set up a vaccination clinic at Howard Elementary School on Nov. 30.
“Our school board is unanimously in support of doing what we can for health and safety and trusting the Oregon health authorities, the CDC and the FDA. So we’ve really been listening closely to that process,” Newman said.
LCPH has already held two pediatric vaccination clinics. Within 20 minutes of online scheduling becoming available for each clinic, every possible appointment time was already spoken for, proving the high demand within the area. Across the state, 58,111 doses of the Pfizer pediatric vaccine have been administered as of Nov. 23, according to the Oregon Health Authority.
“I am very personally encouraged by how hard everyone has been working to follow all the health and safety guidelines,” Newman said. “[Everyone] in our district is working. They’re really following the rules, and we have very little spread in our schools.”

While there may be hope for the greater Eugene area in terms of children being protected against the virus, the entire nation faces a far more drawn out response if members of the federal government waste their time promoting their public image and debating children’s characters on Twitter, rather than addressing the legislative work they were hired to do.