Stanford Infectious Disease Expert Sets Record Straight on Nicki Minaj’s COVID Vaccination Tweets

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — Stanford Health Care’s Infectious Disease adept Dr. Anne Liu has been successful the trenches, battling the COVID-19 pandemic since its earliest days. She’s seen patients dice and has grown weary of celebrities similar rapper Nicki Minaj spreading unsubstantiated rumors astir the dangers of vaccinations.

Minaj made headlines past week erstwhile she noted successful a tweet to her much than 22.6 cardinal followers that the Met Gala required attendees to beryllium vaccinated, and that she wouldn’t get the changeable until “I consciousness I’ve done capable research.”

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She aboriginal issued a tweet sharing an unverified communicative astir a cousin’s person successful Trinidad. Minaj asserted the unidentified idiosyncratic “became impotent” and “his testicles became swollen” aft receiving the shot.

“This is simply a pugnacious topic,” Liu told CBSN Bay Area. “I person patients who person taken their clip to get vaccinated and immoderate of them yet travel astir and immoderate of them person died of COVID. When our unvaccinated patients died of COVID contempt our champion efforts to get them vaccinated, oregon to dainty them adjacent aft they person gotten the infection, it’s truly horrible.”

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“I blasted the wide lies and each the falsehoods and misinformation that radical are fed. It’s precise upsetting,” Liu added emotionally. “People who person immense audiences are connected societal media are casting doubts connected topics that determination is amended accusation to beryllium recovered on. The radical we are seeing successful the infirmary with COVID are either unvaccinated oregon their immune systems are specified that they cannot respond to the vaccine. And it is truly devastating.”

When it comes to Minaj’s fertility claims, Lui said the subject simply doesn’t enactment them.

“Up front, we person to accidental determination are galore causes of infertility and testicular swelling. The COVID vaccines are not connected that list,” she said. “There is inactive a batch to beryllium discovered whether the COVID corruption tin really impact your fertility. The assemblage is retired connected that. But determination is immoderate information connected COVID corruption really affecting different intersexual functions.”

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When it comes to expectant mothers getting a vaccination, Liu said: “It is ne'er excessively aboriginal to get vaccinated for the extortion of the large person. Pregnant patients are astatine higher hazard of worse outcomes of COVID infection. Infections besides jeopardize the wellness of the fetus. The vaccines are harmless and effectual for them and their fetuses. If I were pregnant, I would person gotten vaccinated already and I archer my patients who are large to please, delight get vaccinated.”