Prince Harry criticises Joe Rogan’s comments on Covid vaccine: ‘Stay out of it’

‘With a platform comes responsibility’

Prince Harry has reacted to Joe Rogan’s comments about the Covid-19 vaccine, saying the podcast host should “stay out” of that conversation.

Harry was asked about Rogan’s remarks during an interview on the podcast Armchair Expert, hosted by Dax Shepard and Monica Padman.

Rogan drew criticism last month after suggesting that “healthy” young people shouldn’t take the vaccine, which contradicts medical expertise and government guidelines.

In the US, the CDC has now recommended that everyone aged 12 and older receive a vaccination, stressing the importance of the Covid-19 vaccine in stopping the pandemic.

Rogan’s comments were rebutted by the White House as well as by Dr Anthony Fauci. Rogan himself ended up walking back his remarks, stating: “I am not a doctor. I am a f***ing moron. I am a cage-fighting commentator. I am not a respected source of information, even for me.”

This rhetoric, however, didn’t convince Harry, who said Rogan should be more cognisant of how he uses his considerable platform. Rogan’s podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, was the most popular podcast on Spotify in 2020.

“I think the issue is, in today’s world, with misinformation [being] just endemic, you’ve got to be careful what comes out of your mouth,” he said. “News doesn’t exist in just news anymore. It’s splattered all over the place. So people listen to Joe Rogan and say, ‘Oh, if he says that...’”

Harry added: “There’s a [sense] of, ‘Don’t listen to me’ – well, don’t say that. Just stay out of it. ... If you have a platform, with a platform comes responsibility.”

Just last week, Harry was featured as part of Global Citizen’s Vax Live concert. He and Meghan Markle acted as chairs for the event, stressing the importance of vaccination and advocating for vaccine access equality.