Health Minister angry about swollen testicles claim

[Silver]

There have been NO cases of swollen testicles after taking the COVID jab': Trinidad Health Minister is forced to issue public statement after Nicki Minaj made false claim to her 22m Twitter fans

Rapper rowed with Boris Johnson and Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty 

Trinidad and Tobago's health minister has criticised Nicki Minaj for wasting his time by forcing him to look into the safety of the Covid-19 vaccine after she claimed that the jab left a cousin's friend with 'swollen' testicles.

The rapper sparked a row with Boris Johnson and Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty after she called into question the safety of the vaccine to her 22million followers.

Trinidadian-born Minaj alleged that her cousin's friend in Trinidad also became 'impotent' as a result of the jab, causing his fiancée to cancel their wedding.

Covid Trinidad: Health minister hits back at Nicki Minaj over swollen testicles vaccine claim | Daily Mail Online

Edited September 16, 2021 by The Silver Shroud

[Piney]

Stupid people rather listen to politicians, preachers and celebrities than science during a zoonotic pandemic. This is called "Darwinism".

Let them run their mouths. It'll clean up the gene pool some. 

[LightAngel]

14 minutes ago, Piney said:

science 

 

True science isn't in control right now - so please look into your own mirror before pointing your fingers!

This will be my only comment here because I like you, and I don't want to fight with you - and therefore, my last statement to you is this, please investigate on your own!

 

I care about all creatures.

Nicki is a human being, just like my favorite pizza cook (they are both worth the same).

Nobody is worth more than others, so nobody should be hated for sharing their thoughts even if we think they are "stupid".

The truth will win in the end regardless....

 

 

 

[Piney]

1 minute ago, LightAngel said:

True science isn't in control right now - so please look into your own mirror before pointing your fingers!

Especially in the U.S. but why should I look in the mirror? I've been proven right again and again with my observations on the environments and situations I examine. 

3 minutes ago, LightAngel said:

Nobody is worth more than others, so nobody should be hated for sharing their thoughts even if we think they are "stupid".

You should know me well enough to know I hate misinformation. Not people. 

[LightAngel]

1 minute ago, Piney said:

 

You should know me well enough to know I hate misinformation. Not people. 

 

Then act that way!

 

[Still Waters]

People like Nicki are dangerous, using her fan base to spread false claims. She should be ashamed of herself.

[Scholar4Truth]

Why do we listen to Hollywood? 

[Kittens Are Jerks]

2 hours ago, LightAngel said:

The truth will win in the end regardless....

But at what cost? The consequences of misinformation during this pandemic have been, and continue to be disastrous.

Misinformation is a serious risk to public health. It has adversely impacted the effectiveness of containment strategies during the COVID crisis and people have died, and continue to die, as a result of it. Those who disseminate misinformation are as much an enemy as the virus. If others hate, or are contemptuous of them, it is with good reason.

[Kittens Are Jerks]

37 minutes ago, Scholar4Truth said:

Why do we listen to Hollywood? 

There was a study done a few years back by McMaster University on this very question. Here's a news article summary of it:

https://www.fastcompany.com/3023918/9-reasons-why-we-listen-to-celebrities-bad-health-advice

The gist of their findings was that people are hard-wired to take medical advice from celebrities; that they have a tendency to emulate and trust (thanks to the halo effect) the people they most admire. Health organisations understand this, which is why they sometimes partner with celebrities to educate and achieve productive outcomes.

[Scholar4Truth]

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/sep/16/nicki-minaj-vaccine-white-house-phone-call-covid

[Kittens Are Jerks]

48 minutes ago, Scholar4Truth said:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/sep/16/nicki-minaj-vaccine-white-house-phone-call-covid

Hopefully she will make an effort to reverse the damage she's done once she becomes more informed.

Just the same, reliable information is already out there:

Rumors and myths about COVID-19 vaccine effects on all aspects of reproduction and sexual functioning have spread like a Delta variant of viral misinformation across social media platforms, where people swap rumors of erectile dysfunction and fertility disruptions following vaccination. Yet studies so far have not linked the vaccines with problems related to pregnancy, menstrual cycles, erectile performance or sperm quality. The evidence does show that COVID-19 can involve problems in all of these areas.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/covid-vaccines-show-no-signs-of-harming-fertility-or-sexual-function/

[Horta]

26 minutes ago, Kittens Are Jerks said:

Hopefully she will make an effort to reverse the damage she's done once she becomes more informed.

Just the same, reliable information is already out there:

Rumors and myths about COVID-19 vaccine effects on all aspects of reproduction and sexual functioning have spread like a Delta variant of viral misinformation across social media platforms, where people swap rumors of erectile dysfunction and fertility disruptions following vaccination. Yet studies so far have not linked the vaccines with problems related to pregnancy, menstrual cycles, erectile performance or sperm quality. The evidence does show that COVID-19 can involve problems in all of these areas.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/covid-vaccines-show-no-signs-of-harming-fertility-or-sexual-function/

The problem there of course is that covid vaccines haven't been around for long, so even if such links were to exist studies are unlikely to do this for years anyway. Some of them are only just starting, largely because of anecdotal claims. It's quite possible there will be overlooked side effects, though side effects are usually temporary anyway and not necessarily cause for concern.

https://www.nichd.nih.gov/newsroom/news/083021-COVID-19-vaccination-menstruation

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/08/09/1024190379/covid-vaccine-period-menstrual-cycle-research

I'm all for promoting vaccines, but I think we have to stop the bull**** as well (not you personally). The vaccines are effective against the immediate threat and are generally considered safe. Surely, that's all we can know at the moment and that should be enough considering the alternative.

I doubt any reasonable person is going to put much faith in such random swollen testicle stories, but there was a story from an "academic" the other day claiming that the vaccines are "200 times safer than aspirin". That sort of sensationalism isn't very helpful either. 

I think everyone should be offered the vaccine, then for those that decline it's their own responsibility. Then gradually start opening up. It's obvious by now that vaccine induced herd immunity isn't going to happen, it was always unlikely with this virus/vaccine combination anyway. The virus is here to stay.

[Kittens Are Jerks]

17 minutes ago, Horta said:

The problem there of course is that covid vaccines haven't been around for long, so even if such links were to exist studies are unlikely to do this for years anyway. Some of them are only just starting, largely because of anecdotal claims. It's quite possible there will be overlooked side effects, though side effects are usually temporary anyway and not necessarily cause for concern.

The vaccines (and the technology behind them) have been around long enough for the medical community to feel confident in their long-term safety.

An immunologist explains why in the following article.

https://bostonreview.net/science-nature/andrew-l-croxford-long-term-safety-argument-over-covid-19-vaccines

9 minutes ago, Horta said:

I doubt any reasonable person is going to put much faith in such random swollen testicle stories, but there was a story from an "academic" the other day claiming that the vaccines are "200 times safer than aspirin". That sort of sensationalism isn't very helpful either. 

It may come across as sensationalism, but statistically that specialist is most likely correct. The COVID vaccines are far safer than many meds people take on a regular basis. In fact, most of the components of the mRNA vaccines are substances that can be found in comparable or greater amounts in things we consume every day, such as milk products, soft drinks, and fruit.

https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/getting-a-covid-jab-is-safer-than-taking-aspirin

Sorry I don't have the time to summarise the findings from each of the articles, but just four days into classes and I already have an assignment due tomorrow. I have, however, read both from beginning to end and they are in line with other studies I have read, and with the thinking of medical specialists I have spoken to on the subject.

[Horta]

8 hours ago, Kittens Are Jerks said:

The vaccines (and the technology behind them) have been around long enough for the medical community to feel confident in their long-term safety.

An immunologist explains why in the following article.

https://bostonreview.net/science-nature/andrew-l-croxford-long-term-safety-argument-over-covid-19-vaccines

It seems pretty obvious the medical community feels confident (with good reason), due to the fact that they are giving them out en masse. Unfortunately it isn't the medical community that needs to be convinced. A bigger problem is the complete lack of trust in authorities, including regulatory authorities who are often viewed as Incompetent (WHO) or corrupt. Things like the "opioid crisis" and this rather inopportune controversy "Three experts have now resigned from a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee after the agency approved an Alzheimer's drug called Aduhelm against the wishes of nearly every member on the panel".

This lack of trust is not without basis and is behind resistance (IMO) in many places around the world where vaccine uptake is traditionally high. It has also been politicised (disgustingly so at times) by people who should know better. As people often cling to politics like religion no amount of hitting them over the head with vaccine "facts" is likely to change their minds or restore trust. That's why (IMO) when everyone has been reasonably offered vaccination, it might be better to treat the disease as endemic and find ways to live with it.

I was also talking more so about "side effects" (short lived reactions to vaccination) as opposed to "long term effects". It's quite possible (it's looking even probable) that some of them have been overlooked. Side effects are usually short lived and ultimately harmless.

As to long "term effects" I think it's already known that a very small subset of people will have these as well. If death isn't a "long term" effect then nothing is. That science is rightly confident there will be no other long term effects isn't going to sway people either. The only honest answer there is that it's very unlikely.

All vaccines and all medications have risk that is above 0. These risks are statistically minute compared to the risk of death or the long  term effects of covid. That's about as honest as we can be and I think that's a better tactic. The rest is waffle IMO and all of this coddling and cajoling is going to have the opposite effect.

Quote

It may come across as sensationalism, but statistically that specialist is most likely correct. The COVID vaccines are far safer than many meds people take on a regular basis. In fact, most of the components of the mRNA vaccines are substances that can be found in comparable or greater amounts in things we consume every day, such as milk products, soft drinks, and fruit.

https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/getting-a-covid-jab-is-safer-than-taking-aspirin

With respect, if you're going to conflate vaccines with things like soft drinks and milk...this is exactly the problem.

I guess if you also overlook the context that aspirin is a very commonly used blood thinning medication in elderly people that are unwell to begin with many of whom have already suffered strokes and heart attacks, you could pad that one out. There is unlikely to be enough data yet for a genuine comparison to be made anyway as much of vaccine data is still up for review and study. Regardless, it is sensationalism and the academic equivalent of used car salesmanship, when hesitant people see things like this it will intuitively make them even more suspicious.

There is a very good book by a philosopher outlining the problem going on on both sides. It's called "On bull****".

Quote

"Frankfurt concludes that although bull**** can take many innocent forms, excessive indulgence in it can eventually undermine the practitioner's capacity to tell the truth in a way that lying does not. Liars at least acknowledge that it matters what is true. By virtue of this, Frankfurt writes, bull**** is a greater enemy of the truth than lies are."

There is a mistaken belief that there is a group of "lesser intelligent" beings that are resisting this vaccine. The greatest vaccine uptake (in the US at least) over recent months is from the least educated. As a demographic, so far people with Phd's appear the most hesitant group.

This doesn't seem to indicate ignorance as the greatest problem, and a different strategy might be necessary.

https://unherd.com/thepost/the-most-vaccine-hesitant-education-group-of-all-phds/

Edited September 17, 2021 by Horta

[+Hammerclaw]

8 minutes ago, Horta said:

There is a mistaken belief that there is a group of "lesser intelligent" beings that are resisting this vaccine. The greatest vaccine uptake (in the US at least) over recent months is from the least educated. As a demographic, so far people with Phd's appear the most hesitant group.

This doesn't seem to indicate ignorance as the greatest problem, and a different strategy might be necessary.

https://unherd.com/thepost/the-most-vaccine-hesitant-education-group-of-all-phds/

A great many of intelligent, often eccentric people, are the ones who tend to have the least common sense.  

[Horta]

3 hours ago, Hammerclaw said:

A great many of intelligent, often eccentric people, are the ones who tend to have the least common sense.  

Good point and it's undeniably true that education doesn't necessarily confer "common sense". To be meaningful that poll might need something to use as a comparison anyway, say a historical poll.

Though I can see that working both ways. This isn't directed at you Hammer, though there's a lot of bull**** going on from people who should know better and a lot of vaccine cockups.

As the "aspirin 200 times worse" claim seems to indicate lol. In fact the situations are so different I doubt any meaningful comparison can be made there, even if reliable long term data were available. Unless people are now able to pick vaccines up from the corner store and take as much as they like, whenever they like. Or it's accepted that aspirin ingestion would be expected to result in feeling lousy for "a day or two" 200 times more than the vaccines. Or that any country has halted aspirin use in younger people due to aspirin anaphylaxis or the fear of more people dying of aspirin than the malady they are taking it for. It'll amount to picking whatever statistics you like best.

This claim was recently used in some cities in Australia that haven't really been hit bad with covid (yet) and who actually had more people die with deaths linked to vaccination than of covid itself. So this particular vaccine was kept for 60 and overs (with no other choice) while Pfizer was purchased for people 59 and under. Unsurprisingly the most hesitant group at that time quickly became 60-70 yr olds. No surprises there, aspirin danger notwithstanding.

There are excellent reasons to take vaccines that are quite obvious, but because someone can claim they are 200 times safer than aspirin isn't one of them. It's a claim best understood via the work of Prof. Harry Frankfurt.

Edited September 17, 2021 by Horta

[toast]

22 hours ago, Piney said:

Stupid people rather listen to politicians, preachers and celebrities than science during a zoonotic pandemic. This is called "Darwinism".

Let them run their mouths. It'll clean up the gene pool some. 

Evolutionary regulative, so to speak.

[Piney]

5 hours ago, Hammerclaw said:

A great many of intelligent, often eccentric people, are the ones who tend to have the least common sense.  

My older sister who is still living. 2 PhDs and not a lick of it........

 

[toast]

22 hours ago, LightAngel said:

True science isn't in control right now -

Can you explain what that should mean? Whats the difference between true and untrue science? What is "untrue science"?

Quote

I care about all creatures.

Everybody should so should "Nicki". As an expert in the field of Botox, fake b**bs and entertainment she should do her followers and the world a favor and refrain from any comment and/or advice related to issues outside her compentence.

[+Hammerclaw]

27 minutes ago, Piney said:

My older sister who is still living. 2 PhDs and not a lick of it........

 

Reminds me of Naomi on The Expanse, great engineer but a total space cadet. She's always leaving, getting into deep s%&t and coming back swearing it's for good, until of course, the next time she leaves again.

[Piney]

17 minutes ago, Hammerclaw said:

Reminds me of Naomi on The Expanse, great engineer but a total space cadet. She's always leaving, getting into deep s%&t and coming back swearing it's for good, until of course, the next time she leaves again.

Was that the one who jumped between ships without a pressure suit? 

[+Hammerclaw]

1 hour ago, Piney said:

Was that the one who jumped between ships without a pressure suit? 

That was her. I had a long on and off relationship with a woman like her. Always leaving, getting the crap beat out of her and running back to me--only to leave again. Sad thing was I let her do it. I feel sorry for Holden. My favorite female character on the show is her friend, Camina Drummer, the belter captain. 

Edited September 17, 2021 by Hammerclaw

[+Nuclear Wessel]

On 9/16/2021 at 6:31 AM, LightAngel said:

Nobody is worth more than others,

Eh, that's debatable. For example, if I had the choice of saving a top cancer researcher vs a pizza cook then I would definitely not be saving the cook.

 

[XenoFish]

49 minutes ago, Nuclear Wessel said:

Eh, that's debatable. For example, if I had the choice of saving a top cancer researcher vs a pizza cook then I would definitely not be saving the cook.

 

What if the pizza cook had a part time interest in science then inadvertently created a true clean energy source in his garage? 

[+Nuclear Wessel]

5 minutes ago, XenoFish said:

What if the pizza cook had a part time interest in science then inadvertently created a true clean energy source in his garage? 

Interesting question, but I think my first inclination would be that, considering the probability of a pizza cook having created a "true clean energy source in his garage" to be quite low, I would still opt for the top cancer researcher.

The scenario I posited was assuming that I knew nothing about them beyond their current occupations. If I knew that the pizza cook actually created a "true clean energy source in his garage", that would make for an interesting conundrum.

Edited September 17, 2021 by Nuclear Wessel