Opinion

We’re not calling out Nicki Minaj. We’re calling her in.

Oni Blackstock is a primary care and HIV physician and founder and executive director of Health Justice. Uché Blackstock is an emergency physician and founder and chief executive of Advancing Health Equity.

We’re not writing to call out Nicki Minaj. We’re calling her in.

The superstar rapper on Tuesday tweeted a dubious third-hand story about the coronavirus vaccine. Her cousin’s friend in Trinidad, she said, had developed a concerning fertility-related side effect after receiving the shot: “His friend was weeks away from getting married, now the girl called off the wedding.” The tweet exploded, even prompting the White House to offer to discuss the vaccine with her over the phone.