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Top podcast host and UFC commentator Joe Rogan is making headlines again after advising “healthy young people” not to receive coronavirus vaccine.
During episode No. 1,639 of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast featuring fellow comedian and Legion of Skanks co-host Dave Smith, Rogan contradicted the general consensus of the medical community regarding COVID vaccinations.
“People say, ‘Do you think it’s safe to get vaccinated?’ I’ve said, yeah, I think for the most part it’s safe to get vaccinated. I do. I do,” Rogan said.
“But if you’re like 21 years old, and you say to me, Should I get vaccinated? I’ll go no,’ he clarified.
As Fox News notes, Rogan apparently opposes the latest CDC guidance, which encourages all those over the age of 16 and up to get vaccinated with the goal of achieving herd immunity.
“Look, don’t do anything stupid, but you should take care of yourself,” Rogan continued. “You should — If you’re a healthy person, and you’re exercising all the time, and you’re young, and you’re eating well, like, I don’t think you need to worry about this.”
Many responded to the media personality’s viewpoint. Chiefly, U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci called Rogan’s comments “incorrect” in an interview with NBC’s Today.
“You’re talking about yourself in a vacuum,” the country’s leading infectious disease expert said of the podcast host. “You’re worried about yourself getting infected and the likelihood that you’re not going to get any symptoms. But you can get infected, and will get infected, if you put yourself at risk.”
Fauci added that even asymptomatic people can “inadvertently and innocently” can spread the virus, according to The Hill.
“So if you want to only worry about yourself and not society, then that’s OK,” Fauci added. “But if you’re saying to yourself, even if I get infected, I could do damage to somebody else even if I have no symptoms at all, and that’s the reason why you’ve got to be careful and get vaccinated.”
Others responded to Rogan’s statement on Twitter.
“if you’re 21 years old and you say to Joe Rogan, should I get a vaccine? I’ll go, wtf are you doing asking Joe Rogan?,” New York Times opinion columnist Farhad Manjoo wrote.
Another user added, “My feeling is that, no matter what your age, you should not take medical advice from Joe Rogan.”