By BRIAN NIEMIETZ | NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

The largest study to date on the clinical benefits of ivermectin — the vaccine of choice for right-wing conspiracy theorists — indicates the deworming medication is not effective in treating COVID-19.

Study results from Canada’s McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, found that the nearly 1,400 test subjects at risk of severe disease reacted similarly to placebos and ivermectin.

“There was no indication that ivermectin is clinically useful,” said Dr. Edward Mills, who was one of the study’s researchers.

That finding is consistent with long-standing FDA claims that ivermectin showed no benefits in clinical testing and could be dangerous in large doses. Advocacy of the malaria-treating promoted drug by show business personalities including podcaster Joe Rogan and various Fox News pundits contributed to a run in its popularity — including an animal-grade version that the FDA found itself having to push back against through its own messaging.

“You are not a horse. You are not a cow,” read one popular FDA ad. “Seriously, y’all. Stop it.”

You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it. https://t.co/TWb75xYEY4

— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) August 21, 2021

Rogan, for one, made a point of clarifying he was advocating for the seemingly ineffective human-grade version of the drug rather than the potentially dangerous paste used on livestock.

Reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Aaron Rodgers also said he took ivermectin to treat COVID. Fox News host Tucker Carlson called ivermectin a “promising” COVID-19 drug in September and ranted about mainstream media outlets that report otherwise. “InfoWars” host Alex Jones appeared to gobble an entire bottle of ivermectin on air that same month.

“Don’t do it,” NIAID director Anthony Fauci warned in September. ”There’s no evidence whatsoever that (ivermectin) works and it could potentially have toxicity.”

Another concern from health experts is that people using ivermectin in the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 may be rejecting the use of safe and effective vaccines designed to actually address the deadly virus, which has killed nearly a million Americans.

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