Nicki Minaj has stunned the world after posting some pretty questionable tweets in which the rapper questions the efficacy of coronavirus vaccines.
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Is Nicky Minaj an anti-vaxxer?
After having been absent at two high profile events in the last weeks—the VMAs and the MET Gala—the rapper revealed that she caught COVID while preparing for the Video Music Awards. When asked by one fan on Twitter why she had been M.I.A for so long, Minaj responded that she did not want to risk the health of her newborn child, which she then linked to vaccine hesitancy. The 38-year-old said:
They want you to get vaccinated for the Met. if I get vaccinated it won’t 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. Wear the mask with 2 strings that grips your head & face. Not that loose one 🙏♥️
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) September 13, 2021
She later softened her stance by confirming that she would eventually have to get jabbed if she planned on travelling for upcoming performances and tours. However, the rapper quickly regressed back to anti-vaxx rhetoric by advancing unfounded claims regarding vaccination and impotence when she tweeted:
My cousin in Trinidad won’t get the vaccine cuz his friend got it & became impotent. His testicles became swollen. 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
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) September 13, 2021
Impotence is not linked to COVID vaccines
Thankfully, medical professionals have stepped in to dispel the baseless and very dangerous conspiracy theories advanced by Minaj. Dr Leana Wen commented to People Magazine:
It is just not true that getting the COVID-19 vaccine is associated with infertility in either males or females. In fact, we know that there are actually consequences, if somebody gets COVID-19, in terms of the impact on the male reproductive system.
Before adding:
There have been studies that have linked scrotal discomfort and low sperm count to having COVID-19. In addition, there has been an association between scrotal swelling and congestion to having COVID-19. So, to emphasize, these are not associated with the vaccine but with the disease.