Chief medical officer Chris Whitty has said rapper Nicki Minaj “should be ashamed” after she tweeted that COVID vaccines are linked to impotence.

Speaking at a Downing Street news conference, he said: “There are a number of myths that fly around, some of which are just clearly ridiculous and some of which are clearly designed just to scare.

“That happens to be one of them.”

He said there are “people that go around trying to discourage other people from taking a vaccine which could be life-saving or prevent them from having life-changing injuries to themselves”.

“Many of those people I regret to say will know they are pedalling untruths but they still do it,” he said.

“In my view, they should be ashamed.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “I am not as familiar with the works of Nicki Minaj as I probably should be.

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“But I am familiar with Nikki Kanani, a superstar GP of Bexley who has appeared many times before you, who will tell you vaccines are wonderful and everybody should get them.

“That’s why I prefer to listen to Nikki Kanani.”

Asked about the star’s posts, a Twitter spokesperson told Sky News: “The tweets referenced are not in violation of the Twitter Rules.”

The chart-topper rapper revealed she had recently contracted COVID-19 in a series of tweets and also that she has not yet been vaccinated.

Minaj also said she would be pressured into getting the shot for the Met Gala, which reportedly required guests to be vaccinated.

She later clarified this was not the reason she did not go to the annual event – saying she did not want to travel because of her son.

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