Trinidad health Minister responds to Nicki Minaj’s claim that covid-19 vaccine caused swollen testicles
Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Health Dr Terrence Deyalsingh is lamenting the “waste of time” that his ministry spent investigating claims by Trinidad-born rapper Nicki Minaj that her cousin had swollen testicles and impotency after getting the Covid vaccine shots.
Minaj made the claim in a recent tweet, after explaining that she did not attend this year’s Met Gala because of its COVID-19 vaccination mandate.
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)
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
Her tweet sparked backlash, despite her encouraging her followers to get vaccinated, and disclosing too that she would also eventually need to get vaccinated in subsequent tweets.
At a press conference on Wednesday, the health minister said his ministry investigated the claim and it’s false.
“We had to check on whether what she was claiming was true or false. And unfortunately, we wasted so much time yesterday running down this false claim. As far as we know at this point in time, there have been no such reports as a side effect or adverse event,” he said.
The Minister further stated that there have been no reports of such occurrence anywhere in the world.
“And what was sad about this is that it wasted our time yesterday, trying to track down because we talk all these claims seriously whether it is on social media or mainstream media. As we stand no now, there is absolutely no reported such side effect or adverse event in Trinidad, or I dare say anywhere else in the world,” he continued.
