White House offers Nicki Minaj a call over vaccines
The White House on Thursday said it's willing to speak with American rapper Nicki Minaj over vaccine safety.
On Monday, Minaj told her more than 22 million Twitter followers that she had not been vaccinated because she had not done enough research and had to miss the Met Gala.
The Trinidad-born artist went on to share a story about her cousin on the island, who refused to get vaccinated because his friend allegedly became impotent after getting the shot.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed the news in a conference.
"We offered a call with Nicki Minaj and one of our doctors to answer questions she had about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine. This is pretty standard and something we do all the time."
Minaj's tweets triggered international backlash, with senior U.S. and British health officials condemning the claims.
Trinidad and Tobago's Health Minister on Wednesday also criticised Minaj, calling the statement 'false' and 'a waste of time'.
Top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said there was a lot of misinformation on social media.
He also cautioned Minaj to think twice before sharing information that has no scientific basis.
Minaj later noted she would get vaccinated so that she would be able to go on tour.
