Republican senator Ted Cruz was having none of it, labelling it "Government propaganda for your five-year-old".

Mr Cruz was joined by a wave of conservative and anti-vaccination advocates in slamming Big Bird for his vaccine stance — but Sesame Street and its characters have been educating children and families about COVID-19 and vaccines since the beginning of the pandemic.

Ted Cruz and friends were very upset:

Conservative commentator Liz Wheeler and Republican senator for Arizona Wendy Rogers were among those deeply offended by a children's character sharing his experience with COVID vaccination.

Rogers posted on her Twitter account that she "couldn't block the commie blue checks fast enough" after calling Big Bird a communist. 

In Cruz's state of Texas, according to Johns Hopkins University data, more than 4,257,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19 and almost 72,000 have died, while in Rogers's state of Arizona more than 1,100,000 have been infected and the death toll has passed 21,000.

Cruz is also among the outspoken advocates in the US for "Saving Australia" from "Tyrannical" COVID restrictions.

But some pointed out that Big Bird is simply helping kids understand vaccines

Sesame Street promoted a program that aired on CNN over the weekend called The ABCs of COVID Vaccines, aimed at inviting and answering questions from both kids and parents about vaccination.

Big Bird, who is six years old, told CNN's chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta during the Town Hall for Families that he was "A little scared to get the shot because I don't like needles", but the panel talked through ways to push through the nerves by singing songs or bringing a favourite toy from home.

Oscar the Grouch also took to Twitter to say that he watched the Town Hall and learned a thing or two about the vaccine.

Elmo, however, hasn't had his COVID vaccine yet because at age three, he's not quite eligible.

Pfizer's COVID vaccine has been approved for children as young as five in the United States just in the last week or so (something that has not happened in Australia yet).

Vaccine promotion in entertainment and pop culture is not new, nor is it exclusive to COVID vaccines.

Sesame Workshop, the organisation behind Sesame Street's educational content, has been creating COVID-19 resources for children and families for some time. 

The organisation launched a series of COVID vaccine-related public service announcements in partnership with the CDC more than six months ago, in multiple languages. 

"Featuring Elmo, Elmo’s dad Louie, and the Muppets of Sesame Street, the new spots highlight that COVID-19 vaccines for adults are here and that getting vaccinated can help lead to sunnier days ahead," Sesame Workshop said in a statement at the time. 

"Sesame Workshop is releasing additional bilingual resources for parents, caregivers, and providers to explain why grown-ups are getting vaccinated against COVID-19, answer common questions in age-appropriate ways, and remind children that it’s still important to practice other healthy behaviours, like handwashing."

President Biden is team Big Bird:

In a statement last week, Joe Biden said the authorisation of a COVID vaccine for children aged five to 11 was a "turning point in our battle against COVID-19".

"It will allow parents to end months of anxious worrying about their kids, and reduce the extent to which children spread the virus to others," he said. 

Amid the news of COVID vaccine approvals for children, the US President also announced a revised vaccine plan last week for adults, requiring businesses with more than 100 employees to either have all their staff vaccinated or tested weekly from January 4. 

The White House estimates that vaccine mandates will affect about 100 million workers across the US.

Some governors, including leaders in Indiana, Florida and Iowa, have vowed to fight the rules, arguing it infringes on individual freedom.