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Who is Dr Drew Pinsky? Radio talk show host roasted over 'vaccine passports' earlier downplayed Covid-19

'How would you feel if international travel also required other vaccinations?' asks the doctor

Celebrity doctor and TV personality Dr Drew Pinsky is facing social media backlash after tweeting on Monday morning, April 4, that Covid-19 vaccine passports would "segregate people and strip them of their freedom to travel internationally."

Arguing that it would be wrong for countries to demand proof of vaccination against the virus as a prerequisite for being allowed in, Pinksy, 62, an addiction medicine specialist, wrote: “These vaccine passports segregate people and strip them of their freedom to travel internationally. Vaccinations are important, and I encourage everyone to get the Covid vaccine, but how would you feel if international travel also required other vaccinations?”

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Who is Dr Drew Pinsky?

David Drew Pinsky was born to a Jewish family in  Pasadena, California. He is a former staff member at the Department of Chemical Dependency Services at Las Encinas Hospital in Pasadena, California, and Huntington Memorial Hospital. He currently maintains a private internal medicine practice in South Pasadena.

Commonly known as Dr. Drew, he is an American media personality and internist, addiction medicine specialist. He hosted the nationally syndicated radio talk show 'Loveline' from the show's inception in 1984 until its end in 2016.

'Goal was to be a part of pop culture'

On television, he hosted the talk show 'Dr. Drew On Call' on HLN and the daytime series 'Lifechangers' on The CW. In addition, he served as producer and starred in the VH1 show 'Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew', and its spinoffs 'Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew', and 'Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House'. Pinsky currently hosts several podcasts, including 'The Dr. Drew Podcast', 'This Life with Dr. Drew,' 'Dr. Drew After Dark' on the Your Mom's House network, and 'The Adam and Drew Show' with his former Loveline co-host Adam Carolla.

A 2008 report in the New York Times described Pinsky's double role, professionally, in medicine and the mass media has "required him to "navigat[e] a precarious balance of professionalism and salaciousness." Of himself, Pinsky has said in the report, "My goal was always to be part of pop culture and relevant to young people, to interact with the people they hold in high esteem."

Covid beliefs

Between February to March last year, during the height if the pandemic, Pinsky made a series of statements concerning the viral outbreak and downplaying its seriousness, stating that it was not as bad as the flu, and suggested that it was a "press-induced panic"

He later apologized for them and urged people to follow the advice of Dr Anthony Fauci. He was prompted by a 5-minute online video compilation that put together clips from a series of appearances he made over a two-month period, posted by DroopsDr on YouTube. However, it was temporarily taken down "due to a copyright claim by Drew Pinsky Inc." The video was later re-instated after several attorneys and many others defended DroopsDr. In December 2020, Pinsky revealed that he had been diagnosed with COVID-19.

'Wonder what kind of doc this person is'

Twitter users immediately roasted the doctor, reminding him that some countries recommend and make vaccinations from certain diseases mandatory, espcially those that are rare in the US in order to travel. Personal health, vaccination record and the countries one plans to visit can determine if a person needs to become vaccinated from certain diseases before traveling, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

"Some international travel does indeed require proof of vaccination, and the yellow card is your “vaccine passport.” This has been around in some form since 1933, and Dr. Drew Pinsky might be expected to know that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Certificate_of_Vaccination_or_Prophylaxis," said a Twitter user. "I wonder what kind of doctor this person is, to be completely unaware of the obligation of vaccination against the Yellow Fever and the international certificate of vaccination that comes with it. Also, the guy has clearly never travelled outside of the USA," said anoher.

'Perhaps he will return to reality'

"Drew Pinsky has stepped into an alternate universe, wherein vaccinations were never required for a passport or travel outside, or return to, the country. Perhaps he will return to reality, but until then he will remain trapped in... the Twilight Zone," said a Twitter user. "Incredible. "Oops, I made a mistake, haha, sorry!" would've been just fine. Instead he goes with "My only problem is that I'm *too* awesome and smart." He's on another level. Just an all-time putz," said another.

On being asked why the doct'r name was trending in politics on Twitter, a netizen replied: "it's trending because Drew Pinsky should have lost his medical license years ago".