Big Bird Got Vaccinated And Now He's Helping Educate Parents About COVID-19

The giant 6-year-old bird got his shot, and shared a message about COVID-19 vaccines for kids

His wing might be a little sore, but Big Bird is officially vaccinated for COVID-19 — and now he’s helping to educate kids and their parents about it the new dose for kids ages 5-11.

The Ad Council, in partnership with Sesame Street and WarnerMedia, has released a new educational PSA featuring everyone’s favorite 8-foot yellow bird (and his grandmother).

In the 60-second spot, Big Bird talks to his grandmother Granny Bird about getting the COVID-19 shot — and Granny Bird talks to the audience about what to do if they have questions.

The PSA opens with Granny Bird asking how Big Bird is doing after his shot.

“I feel okay. My wing hurts a little bit, but that’s okay,” he says.

Granny reassures him and then reassures parents, too.

“Your wing might hurt for a day or two, Big Bird, and you might feel a bit tired, but you both did great,” she says. “I made the decision to get Big Bird vaccinated because Covid vaccines are the best way to keep yourself, our friends and neighbors, and me safe and healthy. Talk to your healthcare providers about the COVID vaccine for your kids. The vaccine and all the kids out there is going to keep my bird stay safe and healthy.”

“And it will help me keep playing with my granny bird and all the kids at school,” Big Bird adds.

The spot ends by encouraging kids to talk to medical professionals, like their pediatrician, for more COVID-19 vaccine information, or to visit GetVaccineAnswers.org.

In November, the CDC recommended vaccines for kids 5-12. Since then, about 5 million kids have received at least one dose as of Dec 5. While a start, it only represents about 17 percent of the 28 million kids in the United States in that age group. To make schools safer, and to move our communities towards herd immunity, those numbers need to get much higher. Instead, though, the rate of kids getting vaccinated is slowing down.

It’s unclear why vaccine rates are low. A survey found that 2 out of 3 parents were planning to vaccinate their kids aged 5-11, but at the same time, parents have reported trouble finding a vaccine site and getting their kids in for the shot due to transportation issues or work schedules. And a large number of parents have fallen prey to misinformation about the virus and about the vaccine.

Some parents believe that kids aren’t affected by the virus — but while kids aren’t as vulnerable as the elderly, they can still get sick with COVID or pass it on to other more susceptible community members. In fact, 57,000 children have been hospitalized because of COVID, and the number of kid hospitalizations has gone up five times since the Delta variant appeared.

In addition, the very small risks that come with receiving the vaccine are nothing compared to the risks of your kid getting COVID and getting hospitalized or suffering long-term damage.

Plus, getting kids vaccinated comes with the hope of returning schools to normal — a change that will help all children’s mental, physical, and emotional health.

The Big Bird PSAs are also available in Spanish.