Nicki Minaj’s claim that COVID vaccine can cause impotence is false, Trinidad health minister says

(CNN) – Health officials in Trinidad and Tobago are calling rapper Nicki Minaj’s claim about the COVID-19 vaccine a waste of time.

In a tweet Monday, Minaj said her cousin in Trinidad “won’t get the vaccine cuz his friend got it & became impotent. His testicles became swollen.”

On Wednesday, health officials from the Caribbean nation debunked Minaj’s claim, saying there have been no such reported side effects.

“As far as we know at this point in time, there has been no such reported either side effect or adverse event,” said Dr. Terrence Deyalsingh, Trinidad and Tobago’s health minister.

“And what was sad about this is that it wasted our time yesterday trying to track down, because we take all these claims seriously.”

Meanwhile, Minaj is facing broad pushback for spreading misinformation, with experts saying there is no evidence that the vaccine affects fertility.

A White House official told CNN they reached out to Minaj, offering a call with a White House doctor to “answer questions she has about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.”

Copyright 2021 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.