In a rare move, the government of Trinidad and Tobago has responded to rapper Nicki Minaj’s recent claims about the COVID-19 vaccine.
On Wednesday, the country’s health minister Terrence Dyalsingh dismissed the “false” post.
Minaj had claimed that she was hesitant about receiving the jab after hearing that her cousin’s friend had complained his testicles had been negatively affected after getting vaccinated.
“As we stand now, there is absolutely no reported side effect or adverse event of testicular swelling in Trinidad … and none that we know of anywhere in the world,” Deyalsingh said in a press conference on Wednesday.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, also debunked the megastar’s claims.
“There’s no evidence that it happens, nor is there any mechanistic reason to imagine that it would happen,” he said. “So the answer to your question is no.”
Fauci then urged the public to do their due diligence.
“There’s a lot of misinformation, mostly on social media, and the only way we know to counter mis and disinformation is to provide a lot of correct information,” he said. “And to essentially debunk these kinds of claims, which may be innocent on her part. I’m not blaming her for anything but she should be thinking twice about propagating information that really has no basis.”
Minaj also revealed that she had caught the virus but is relying on wearing sturdy masks as she continues to do her research.
“If I get vaccinated it won’t [be] for the Met. It’ll be once I feel I’ve done enough research. I’m working on that now. In the meantime my loves, be safe,” she wrote.
