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Did Aaron Rodgers promote ivermectin for treating COVID-19?

By Tom Kertscher
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YES

NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers praised the antiparasitic drug ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19.

Ivermectin is approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration to treat several tropical diseases, including scabies, but not for the treatment of any viral infection, including COVID-19. The FDA recommends against using ivermectin for COVID.

Rodgers is a former Green Bay Packer who now plays for the New York Jets.

In November 2021, Rodgers told interviewer Pat McAfee that 48 hours after testing positive for the coronavirus, “I’ve been taking monoclonal antibodies, ivermectin, zinc, vitamin C and DHCQ, and I feel pretty incredible.”

On March 12, 2024, The New York Times reported that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy was considering Rodgers as his vice-presidential running mate.

Kennedy has long decried vaccines. He claimed that ivermectin was discredited as a COVID-19 treatment so that COVID vaccines would get federal authorization.

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
National Institutes of Health Ivermectin
Rev.com Aaron Rodgers COVID-19 Vaccination Interview on Pat McAfee Radio Show: Transcript
New York Times Aaron Rodgers and Jesse Ventura Top R.F.K. Jr.’s List for Running Mate
PolitiFact Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign of conspiracy theories: PolitiFact’s 2023 Lie of the Year
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.