Doctors Say Joe Rogan Is A 'Menace To Public Health' & Spotify Should Rein Him In On COVID

Joe Rogan, the comedian and occasional UFC commentator, is not a good source of COVID-19 information, an open letter says.

A letter by 270 physicians, scientists and educators to Spotify calls on the streaming service to rein in its No. 1 podcast host because of his frequent comments about vaccines and COVID-19.

"Joe Rogan has repeatedly spread misleading and false claims on his podcast, provoking distrust in science and medicine," the letter says.

The group says they want Spotify to establish a policy "to moderate misinformation on its platform."

"This is not only a scientific or medical concern; it is a sociological issue of devastating proportions and Spotify is responsible for allowing this activity to thrive on its platform," the letter says.

Epidemiologist Katrine Wallace, who is one of the signatories on the letter, told Rolling Stone that Rogan is a "menace to public health" because of the platform he gives to anti-vaxxers.

"Having things like this on the Joe Rogan podcast gives a platform to these people and makes it a false balance. This is what really bothers me," she said.

The open letter cites various times when Rogan has entertained fringe ideas and conspiracy theories about COVID-19.

They say that he's "discouraged vaccination in young people and children," made incorrect claims of the way mRNA vaccines work, promoted the drug ivermectin as an unproven COVID-19 treatment and recently hosted U.S.virologist Dr. Robert Malone, who was banned from Twitter for spreading misinformation about COVID-19.

The letter says that Rogan's average listener is about 24 years old, and that his show reaches "millions of listeners vulnerable to predatory medical misinformation." The letter calls on Spotify to take action against "mass-misinformation events."

Rogan had COVID-19 last summer and said he threw "the kitchen sink" at it, using a combination of proven and unproven treatments.

He reportedly has an audience of about 11 million people and had the most popular show on Spotify in 2021.

Spotify has yet to respond to the letter.

The CDC has a robust website with all the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines and can answer any questions you may have.