Offset Says He Won’t Take COVID-19 Vaccine

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Offset admits he does not “trust” the COVID-19 vaccine, whose distribution began in the U.S. on Monday.

Over the weekend in Beverly Hills, a TMZ photographer asked the Migos group member whether he will get vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech injection after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized its emergency use on Friday.

In response, the rapper said he does not trust the shot, citing a viral photo where four trial volunteers developed Bell’s palsy — a form of temporary facial paralysis.

“I just don’t want to be the test dummy,” Offset told the photog.

While the FDA admitted to the four cases of Bell’s palsy in a December 10 document, they noted that “the four cases in the vaccine group do not represent a frequency above that expected in the general population.”

Aside from this, Offset also does not agree with the possibility that celebrities may use their fame to get the vaccine over others.

“I wouldn’t want to do that, because people don’t got what I got… That ain’t fair,” he said.

Earlier in the interview, the photographer brought up a study — most likely a fall 2020 research report from COVID Collaborative — that states only 14 percent of Black Americans “mostly or completely trust” that the vaccine will be safe. The study also found that only 18 percent of Black Americans “mostly or completely trust that a vaccine will be effective.”

When asked what politicians can do to gain the trust of the Black community, Offset answered, “Do something to help the Black community in real life. Put in some policies to help us.”

On Monday morning, the office of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sandra Lindsay, a critical care nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, became the first New Yorker to receive the coronavirus vaccine.

“It didn’t feel any different from taking any other vaccine,” Lindsay told press after receiving the shot. “I feel hopeful today. Relieved.”