‘Get the Russian Covid vaccine,’ Joe Rogan told
Popular American podcaster Joe Rogan, who has stirred controversy with his criticism of Covid-19 vaccines and advocacy of alternative treatments, was asked for his opinion on Russia’s Sputnik V jab in an interview this week.
In an appearance on comedian Tim Dillon’s podcast The Tim Dillon Show on Monday, the two comics discussed Rogan’s skepticism about mass Covid-19 vaccination and his trust in the controversial medication Ivermectin, which has not been approved by the FDA for the treatment of any viral infections.
“The Russian vaccine, Sputnik, is actually the best vaccine,” Dillon told his guest, who replied “it’s supposed to be very good.”
“It’s actually the best,” Dillon went on. “It’s crazy that nobody’s talking about it.”
“There’s another one, from Cuba, that’s supposed to be very good,” Rogan answered. His interviewer went on to ask jokingly whether the podcaster would consider advocating for Sputnik over Ivermectin in the future.
“Get the Russian one, it’s the best one,” Rogan joked back. “Get the Cuban one.”
In the interview, the comedian also criticized drug companies for prioritizing profits over health care, claiming that these firms, as well as government officials, have suppressed information on the benefits of medication like Ivermectin and on the potential dangers of vaccines. He also acknowledged that jabs have protected many people from Covid-19.
On Wednesday, Rolling Stone reported that a group of 270 physicians and scientists had signed an open letter calling on Spotify, which hosts the show The Joe Rogan Experience, to take action against what they called the spread of misinformation about Covid-19 treatment. They particularly criticized his decision to interview Dr. Robert Malone, a virologist who has said that “mass formation psychosis” is responsible for brainwashing people to believe that vaccines are effective.
“People who don’t have the scientific or medical background to recognize the things he’s saying are not true and are unable to distinguish fact from fiction are going to believe what [Malone is] saying, and this is the biggest podcast in the world. And that’s terrifying,” said Dr. Ben Rein, a neuroscientist and one of the letter’s co-authors.
In November, a comparative vaccine study conducted in Hungary showed that Sputnik V was the most effective at preventing mortality, and the second-most effective at preventing infection. However, the World Health Organization and the EU are still assessing the efficacy and safety of the jab.
