The rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine has played a huge role in the reopening of society. However, like any vaccine, it can have side-effects, which contribute to general mistrust towards the rollout.
There are currently three vaccines on offer: Moderna, Oxford/AstraZeneca, and the Pfizer/BioNTech. Although you don't normally get to decide which one you receive, all have been proven to be safe and effective. This hasn't stopped some people voicing doubts over the safety of the vaccine. As well as the emergence of a troubling ‘anti-vaxx’ movement, some public figures have used their influence to spread misinformation.
One such figure is Nicki Minaj, who prompted an international backlash after tweeting that one of her friends had become impotent after receiving a Covid-19 vaccine in Trinidad. She wrote, “My cousin in Trinidad won’t get the vaccine cuz his friend got it & became impotent. His testicles became swollen,” adding that, “His friend was weeks away from getting married, now the girl called off the wedding.”
The rapper then encouraged her Twitter followers (all 22.5 million of them) to “pray on it & make sure you’re comfortable with ur decision, not bullied.” Her tweets were almost universally condemned, with the UK's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty saying, “I think they know they are peddling untruths. But they still do it. In my view, they should be ashamed."
One of the latest rumours doing the rounds is that the Covid-19 vaccine can increase your breast size. Yep, really. It comes as more people have reported feeling irregular lumps around their breast area after receiving a Covid-19 vaccine, which has led some to worry about a potential link with breast cancer.
According to Dr. Jessica Shepherd, Chief Medical Officer of Verywell Health, there is no link between the Covid-19 vaccine and breast cancer so people with breasts shouldn’t panic.
She explains, “Often what they’re seeing is swollen lymph nodes which can mimic breast cancer but are generally no cause for concern. If they do happen to develop and notice a lump and it becomes progressively larger or has severe pain, you should reach out to your medical provider and make an appointment.”
As for whether there's a link between the Covid-19 vaccine and an increase in breast size? Dr. Jessica points out that a study from The Society of Breast Imaging reported that “11.6% of patients who received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine had swollen lymph nodes after the first dose, and 16% after the second dose.”
Dr. Jessica continues, "This increase in breast size is more likely due to vaccine-induced lymphadenopathy, also known as swelling of the lymph nodes. Although it is not completely clear how long it takes for the swelling to go down, it is usually a temporary effect and should clear rather quickly.
This originally appeared on Glamour UK.
