Outspoken and controversial podcaster Joe Rogan urged healthy young adults not to get the COVID-19 vaccine on a recent podcast. Rogan’s podcast is downloaded by millions of people every day and distributed by Spotify.
“If you’re like 21 years old and you say to me, should I get vaccinated?” I’ll go no. Are you healthy? Are you a healthy person? Like, look, don’t do anything stupid, but you should take care of yourself.”
There have been three COVID-19 vaccines approved by the FDA for emergency use authorization in the U.S. One was developed by Pfizer, another by Moderna and the other by Johnson & Johnson.
The CDC and FDA recommend people get two doses of the vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna. The vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson is a single-shot vaccine.
Pfizer and Moderna said their vaccines have remained effective in preventing COVID-19 through at least six months after the second dose. The full duration of protection is not yet known, according to the CDC.
Rogan has been criticized for using his platform to spread conspiracy theories about COVID-19.
“Both my children got the virus. It was nothing. I mean, I hate to say that if someone’s children died from this. I am sorry that that happened. I’m not in any way diminishing that,” said Rogan. “I’m saying the personal experience that my children had with COVID was nothing.”
According to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics and Children’s Hospital Association, 296 children have died of COVID-19 in the U.S. as of April 22.
