Far-right conservative pundit Dennis Prager has been one of many conservatives eagerly advancing disinformation regarding the pandemic that's killed over 700 thousand Americans. Since the first cases reached the United States in 2020, the right repeatedly dismissed the severity of the virus, claiming it was little more than the flu.
Now, with the widespread availability of lifesaving vaccines proven to be safe and effective, conservatives like Prager are spreading lies about their effects while characterizing any efforts to encourage vaccinations as a gross federal overstep.
But Prager's pandemic denialism became even more bizarre this past week, when he announced on the air that he was broadcasting from home because he had COVID, which he insisted he wanted to contract all along.
Watch below.
Dennis Prager announces he has COVID-19 while ranting against vaccines and declaring that he was trying to get infected\n https://www.mediamatters.org/dennis-prager/dennis-prager-announces-he-has-covid-19-while-ranting-against-vaccines-and-declaring\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/0OP0Ge2aYi— Jason Campbell (@Jason Campbell) 1634578542
Prager told listeners:
"I'm broadcasting from my home because I'm not going into the station as I have COVID. I was tested positive last week and I have been steadily improving. At no point was I in danger of hospitalization. ... I have done what a person should do if one is not going to get vaccinated."
After bragging about discredited treatments endorsed by Prager's leader, former President Trump, Prager announced that he'd wanted to contract the virus all along:
"It is infinitely preferable to have natural immunity than vaccine immunity and that is what I have hoped for the entire time. Hence, so, I have engaged with strangers, constantly hugging them, taking photos with them knowing that I was making myself very susceptible to getting COVID. Which is, indeed, as bizarre as it sounded, what I wanted, in the hope I would achieve natural immunity and be taken care of by therapeutics."
While limited evidence has suggested that natural immunity is slightly more effective than immunity induced by inoculation, this is far from definite. A third of people who contract COVID don't gain any protective antibodies. Natural immunity also recedes faster than vaccine immunity, and is less than half as effective as natural immunity coupled with vaccination.
What's more, while Prager may have access to expensive treatments, most Americans do not, and listening to the unhinged medical advice of a delusional conspiracy theorist could get them killed.
People condemned the deranged rant.
Anyone TRYING to get infected SHOULD be treated with disdain & called out for stupidity. OVERWHELMING evidence says this is not only worse for the patient & more costly to taxpayers, but also dangerous to those around him. \n\nDennis Prager will likely recover but others will pay.https://twitter.com/JasonSCampbell/status/1450153630112403456\u00a0\u2026— (((Howard Forman))) (@(((Howard Forman)))) 1634586284
\u201cIt is infinitely preferable to have natural immunity than vaccine immunity. And that is what I hoped for the entire time.\u201d\n\nThis man just proclaimed that it is better to actually get COVID-19 \u2014 that\u2019s what \u201cnatural immunity\u201d is \u2014 instead of getting vaccinated.https://twitter.com/JasonSCampbell/status/1450153630112403456\u00a0\u2026— Eric Kleefeld (@Eric Kleefeld) 1634580433
Dennis Prager is spreading disinformation about Covid19 after contracting the illness and getting a monoclonal antibody injection by pitching EVERY discredited non-remedy.\n\nGROSS.pic.twitter.com/PrDmTxPfoa— Grant Stern is fully vaccinated (@Grant Stern is fully vaccinated) 1634594342
So ... Dennis Prager who rages against the Covid vaccine, was fine receiving alternative monoclonal antibodies that have only received EUA (Emergency Use Authorization) from the FDA??\n\nDo I have that right? https://twitter.com/JasonSCampbell/status/1450153630112403456\u00a0\u2026— Social\u273dFly (@Social\u273dFly) 1634580029
Prager doesn't say how many people he may have infected before being diagnosed. Rogan didn't say, either. They never do. But wow do these shirkers LOVE Big Pharma as soon as they're sick. Rather than taking ONE preventative drug, they guzzle a buffet of meds after it's too late.https://twitter.com/JasonSCampbell/status/1450153630112403456\u00a0\u2026— Bob Cesca (@Bob Cesca) 1634588653
It\u2019s Monday and here\u2019s the dumb ass of the day award. Dennis Prager listing off all of the treatments he\u2019s taking for his COVID-19 diagnosis when he could\u2019ve just gotten the vaccinepic.twitter.com/EdQE3OteX3— humboldtnorm (@humboldtnorm) 1634606546
There was debate and speculation on whether or not Prager had been secretly vaccinated.
He's vaccinated and is most likely lying about having COVID.https://twitter.com/JasonSCampbell/status/1450153630112403456\u00a0\u2026— Spenol (@Spenol) 1634596865
not sure if dennis is "i secretly took the vax" anti-vax guy like all the hosts at fox or if he's like the 186 right-wing radio hosts who were actually committed to the anti-vax thing and kicked the bucket. he's 74 tho so I guess we will find out soon!https://twitter.com/JasonSCampbell/status/1450153630112403456\u00a0\u2026— amanda peon (@amanda peon) 1634579440
Don't hold your breath on this one, Dennis 1000% already got the vaccinehttps://twitter.com/JasonSCampbell/status/1450153630112403456\u00a0\u2026— Will \ud83e\udda5 Menaker (@Will \ud83e\udda5 Menaker) 1634580343
Again, the vaccines against COVID have proven to be safe and effective, despite Prager's fantasies.
