The Health Minister for Trinidad & Tobago is the latest figure to shut down Nicki Minaj’s claims about the COVID-19 vaccine.
The rapper claimed in a tweet on Monday (September 13) that her cousin’s friend in Trinidad had been left impotent after being vaccinated against the virus. “His testicles became swollen,” she added. “His friend was weeks away from getting married, now the girl called off the wedding. So just pray on it & make sure you’re comfortable with ur decision, not bullied.”
In a press conference today (September 15), the Honourable Terrence Deyalsingh, Trinidad & Tobago’s Minister of Health, said the country’s officials had looked into Minaj’s claims. “It is, as far as we know, at this point in time – there has been no such reported either side effect or adverse event,” he said.
“And what was sad about this is that it wasted our time yesterday, trying to track down, because we take all these claims seriously, whether it’s on social media or mainstream media. As we stand now, there is absolutely no reported such side effect or adverse event of testicular swelling in Trinidad or, I dare say, anywhere else. None that we know of anywhere else in the world.”
Previously, Dr Anthony Fauci refuted Minaj’s claims, telling CNN that “there’s no evidence […] nor is there any mechanistic reason to imagine that it would” cause fertility issues in men or women.
The UK’s Professor Chris Witty also told the rapper she “should be ashamed of herself” for spreading misinformation.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson added: “I am not as familiar with the works of Nicki Minaj as I probably should be. But I am familiar with Nikki Kanani, a superstar GP of Bexley who has appeared many times before you, who will tell you vaccines are wonderful and everybody should get them. That’s why I prefer to listen to Nikki Kanani.”
Minaj later responded to Johnson, saying: “I love him even tho I guess this was a diss? The accent ugh! Yassss boo!!!”
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