Prince Harry suggested Joe Rogan “just stay out of it” when asked about his divisive comments late last month regarding who he believes should receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Harry appeared on the latest episode of Dax Shepard and Monica Padman’s Armchair Expert podcast, and was clearly bothered by Rogan expressing his belief that if you’re a young, “healthy person,” then you shouldn’t get vaccinated.
“But 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,” Rogan said. “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.”
While Shepard acknowledged that Rogan is entitled to his own opinion, Harry took issue with Rogan spouting potentially dangerous rhetoric on his immensely popular podcast, which as of Spring 2019, had over 190 million monthly downloads. “The issue is in today’s world with misinformation endemic. You’ve got to be careful about what comes out of your mouth,” Harry said, adding that “with a platform comes responsibility.”
Rogan’s stance struck a chord with Harry, who served as campaign chair of Global Citizen’s VAX Live: The Concert to Reunite the World with his wife Meghan Markle. The event aimed to increase vaccinations across the globe.
Rogan later clarified his remarks, asserting that despite how he appeared to come across, he’s not an an anti-vaxxer. “I said I believe they’re safe and I encourage many people to take them. My parents were vaccinated,” he explained. “I said I don’t think that if you’re a young, healthy person, that you need it.”
“I’m not a fuckin’ doctor, I’m a fuckin’ moron …” he continued. “I’m not a respected source of information, even for me … But I at least try to be honest about what I’m saying.”
