Joe Rogan Admits Josh Szeps Made Him 'Look Dumb' in Podcast Vaccine Debate

Joe Rogan has admitted that he "looked dumb" on his podcast while discussing the COVID-19 vaccine with broadcaster Josh Szeps.

In the latest episode of his hugely influential show The Joe Rogan Experience, the host discussed the effects of the Pfizer vaccine with the Australian TV presenter and podcaster.

Rogan claimed that a rare heart condition had been linked to vaccines, but the notion that vaccinated boys had a higher risk of myocarditis—an inflammation of the heart—than boys who caught COVID was debunked by Szeps in real time.

The host explained he had read reports about an "adverse risk" of myocarditis among 12 to 17-year-olds who had received the vaccine.

However, Szeps pointed out that there was an increased risk of that age group getting myocarditis from actually contracting coronavirus.

"I don't believe that," Rogan said.

"It is," said Szeps.

"No, no, no, I don't believe it," Rogan continued. "That people who catch COVID when they're young have a higher risk of myocarditis than people who get the vaccine have a higher risk of myocarditis."

The pair then checked a New Scientist article that proved Szeps right.

"Is this with children?" he asked as he skimmed the article. "With children is the issue... '12-17 more likely to develop myocarditis within three months of catching COVID at a rate of 450 cases per million infections. This compares to 67 cases of myocarditis per million in the same time following their second dose of Pfizer.'"

Szeps added: "Yeah, so you're about eight times likelier to get myocarditis from getting COVID than from getting the vaccine."

Rogan later posted on social media to concede that Szeps made him "look dumb" during their discussion.

"If anyone was going to make me look dumb on the podcast I'm glad it's
[Szeps] because I love him, and he's awesome," he tweeted.

He added: "That video is cringey, but it's what happens when you stumble in a long form podcast when you didn't know a subject was going to come up and you wing it."

In another tweet, he said he could sometimes stumble during the show but did his "best to get things correct."

Rogan's debate with Szeps came just days after hundreds of medical experts signed an open letter calling on Spotify to moderate misinformation on its platform, particularly on its biggest podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience.

The letter said: "Spotify is enabling its hosted media to damage public trust in scientific research and sow doubt in the credibility of data-driven guidance offered by medical professionals."

Newsweek has contacted Rogan for comment on the open letter.