Big Bird, the giant, fictional bird Muppet from Sesame Street, tweeted on Saturday that he had received his COVID-19 vaccine — similar to what we saw earlier this year with the Teletubbies vaccination card post.

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.

Ms. @EricaRHill even said I’ve been getting vaccines since I was a little bird. I had no idea!

— Big Bird (@BigBird) November 6, 2021

As with seemingly all things vaccine-related, the tweet set off a firestorm of conservative outrage, as several politicians, including the vaccinated Ted Cruz, lobbed insults at the puppet.

Government propaganda…for your 5 year old! https://t.co/lKUlomnpq1

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) November 6, 2021

Big Bird is a communist.

— Wendy Rogers (@WendyRogersAZ) November 7, 2021

Peddling unnecessary pharmaceutical products to children is doubleplus ungood, Comrade Bird.

— Travis Wester (@westerspace) November 7, 2021

Sitting my niece down to tell her Big Bird is trying to kill her pic.twitter.com/U3lgd3CXY8

— James Felton (@JimMFelton) November 7, 2021

They’re mad at big bird lol pic.twitter.com/S1ToEN5oEc

— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) November 6, 2021

pic.twitter.com/fMf2JJtBDT

— supply in a chainstack (@jesseltaylor) November 6, 2021

While it may seem odd that Big Bird waited this long to get his vaccine, he is canonically 6 years old, and the FDA just approved vaccines for children aged 5-11. Also, as Big Bird pointed out, he has been getting vaccines for much of his life: in 1972, he was vaccinated against measles.

Big Bird gets vaccinated, 1972 pic.twitter.com/M2mdmmjZ0N

— Muppet Wiki (@MuppetWiki) November 6, 2021