Misinformation about vaccines is still rampant nowadays and scientists are trying their best to tackle the issue the best they can. However, it can be disheartening when your efforts are met with challenges, specifically one from Joe Rogan as they challenge you to a debate.
Joe Rogan Challenges Vaccine Scientist
Joe Rogan, a Spotify podcaster more known for his controversial statements, appears to have been offended when Peter Hotez, MD Ph.D., agreed that Spotify lacks moderation when it comes to misinformation. As a result, Joe Rogan challenged him to a fight of intellect.
Of course, it's not Joe Rogan himself who will be on the other side of the argument. It will be US Presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr., the guest on the podcast that was the subject of the Motherboard article Dr. Hotez agreed to, as mentioned in The Verge.
The episode tackled the anti-vaxxers' dream topics such as conspiracy theories about vaccines, 5G, ivermectin, and more. To convince the vaccine scientist, Rogan offered a $100,000 donation to a charity of Hotez's choosing if he agrees to the debate.
Dr. Hortez was not swayed by the sum, which resulted in no other than Elon Musk weighing in on the situation and accusing the doctor of "hating charity." This resulted in Dr. Hotez being harassed by Musk and Rogan fans.
In fact, he was even stalked by some of them. In his tweet, he stated that he was just stalked in front of his home by anti-vaxxers, "taunting" him to debate US Presidental candidate RFK Jr., and still, the scientist never agreed to the debate.
Other than the fact that Musk and Rogan fans can sometimes get too involved in matters, the accusation from the article appears to be true. Several podcasts that peddle misinformation on the music streaming platform are still up.
False Claims Made by Joe Rogan
The former UFC presenter has not been popular in the Spotify community other than the company itself. Several artists chose to remove their music from Spotify due to their lack of moderation with Rogan's false vaccine information.
For one, the podcaster once said in an episode that the vaccine was essentially "gene therapy." That's not true at all. Our DNA or the biological blueprint that makes each person who they are cannot be simply altered by a vaccine for Covid.
He likely mistook DNA for RNA. RNA is the messenger of the body. As pointed out by BBC, RNA is the messenger carrying instructions to your cells. The process allows your body to produce antibodies to fight the virus, not change your genes.
Another is that ivermectin can cure Covid. It goes without being said that medical opinions can become dangerous when they don't come from healthcare professionals, and Joe Rogan, with his track record for credibility, is not exactly the best source.
The idea started when a professor of biology Bret Weinstein said that ivermectin alone is capable of "driving this pathogen to extinction." According to reports, the research papers that support the claim appear to be low quality and some of the data had even been manipulated.
