Ranjith Ramasamy, director of male reproductive medicine and surgery at the University of Miami’s health system. But experts say there is no data to support the idea that the vaccines cause erectile dysfunction or swollen testicles. A representative for Minaj did not return requests for more information. Minaj asserted the unidentified individual “became impotent” and “his testicles became swollen” after receiving the shot. The unfounded claims received considerable attention Monday after Trinidadian-born rapper Nicki Minaj tweeted to her more than 22.6 million followers an unverified story about a cousin’s friend in Trinidad. THE FACTS: There is no evidence from available research to suggest COVID-19 vaccines cause erectile dysfunction, swelling of the testicles or male infertility. Nicki Minaj tweet shares unfounded claims about vaccine side effectsĬLAIM: COVID-19 vaccines cause impotency and swollen testicles. Associated Press writer Sophia Tulp in Atlanta contributed this report. However, that rule does not extend to non-employees who may utilize the department’s services. The Department of Veterans Affairs announced in July that all its health care personnel who work in Veterans Health Administration facilities, visit those facilities or provide direct care to those the VA serves would need to get vaccinated. The order mandates that all employers with more than 100 workers require them to be vaccinated or test for the virus weekly.
The rules apply to private-sector employees, health care workers and federal contractors. 9 introducing sweeping new federal vaccine requirements for as many as 100 million Americans in an effort to curb the surging COVID-19 delta variant, that order makes no specific mention of veterans and does not extend to their government health care benefits or to people who receive assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs to cover medical expenses. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican from Iowa, was among those who tweeted a link to the satirical article, writing in her tweet: “If true, this is insane!” While Biden did issue an executive order Sept. “The spread of this misinformation is extremely detrimental to our Veterans and their families and should cease immediately.” The claims were spread through an article on a website that describes its stories as “parodies, satire, fiction, fake, not real.” The blog includes a disclaimer explaining that “everything on this website is made up” and warning readers not to “rely on anything said here.” But many social media users who shared the story seemed to think it was a real news report. “The President has not and will not withhold benefits to Veterans who choose not to be vaccinated,” Veterans Affairs Press Secretary Terrence L. In a statement to The Associated Press, the Department of Veterans Affairs confirmed the claims were untrue. But the worries proved to be unfounded as no such directive or executive order exists. THE FACTS: Social media posts falsely suggested that a supposed order from Biden would keep veterans who receive assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs from accessing health care benefits unless they received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by Nov. Here are the facts:īiden is not withholding benefits from unvaccinated veteransĬLAIM: President Joe Biden has ordered the Department of Veterans Affairs to withhold health care benefits from unvaccinated veterans. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week.