The FDA approved a vaccine despite believing it was not appropriate or required more studies.
Posted by The Joe Rogan Experience, Checked
- Sources
- 4 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 40%
The Joe Rogan ExperienceNov 6, 2026
The post does not name the vaccine, and the sources do not clearly identify it. The closest match is the 2026 Moderna mFlusiva approval, where FDA reviewers flagged efficacy gaps before the agency approved it, but that report postdates the post and the claim's referent remains unresolved. COVID-era sources do not show the FDA judging a vaccine inappropriate.
What was said
… Like, this is how it worked. Nobody was looking at studies. Like, the study was not good, and due to political pressure, and the former head of Merck vaccines, who's running the Vaccine Center, who's never seen a jab he doesn't like waving it through like, we have a vaccine in the market that the FDA did not think was appropriate, or at least needed more studies. Like, that's how it fucking works, and we need to grapple with that. Like, the Democrats are saying they want to trot Bobby in and talk about his vaccine decisions. I would love that. Like, we need to have a real conversation here. …
The Joe Rogan Experience · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Context. A 2026 report on Moderna's mRNA flu shot says FDA reviewers pointed to gaps in the efficacy data and the agency initially pushed back before accepting and approving the application, reportedly under White House pressure.[4]
Context. A 2024 House Judiciary report alleges the Biden administration pressured the FDA to approve the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine despite injury concerns, but it is a partisan staff report and does not show the FDA itself judging the vaccine inappropriate or in need of more studies.[2]
Context. FDA and fact-checking sources describe the COVID-19 vaccines as tested in large randomized trials before authorization, which does not match the claim that the FDA thought a vaccine was inappropriate.[1][3]
Sources
4 sources: 1 fact-checker, 2 primary, 1 not rated
- 1COVID-19 Vaccines Tested in Clinical Trials, Despitefactcheck.org · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 2NEW REPORT: Biden Administration Pressured FDA and Ignored ...judiciary.house.gov · primary source · cited for: context
- 310 Facts about What FDA Does and Does Not Approvefda.gov · primary source · cited for: context
- 4FDA clears Moderna's mRNA-based seasonal flu shotpharmaphorum.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
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