Two-thirds of the side effects of the anti-COVID-19 vaccine would be due to the nocebo effect (Study)

Although the pandemic is evolving and the doses of the anti-covid-19 vaccine are increasing, the side effects of vaccination continue to concern many people. Fever, headaches or body aches, through more serious effects in some cases. A study underlines that two thirds of the side effects of the vaccine would be due to the nocecbo effect. What is it regarding?

Researchers at the Harvard University-affiliated research center, studied data generated from placebo-controlled clinical studies of COVID-19 vaccines and found that almost a third of subjects who received a placebo complained of side effects like fatigue and headaches. However, side effects in participants who did receive a vaccine were slightly higher.

This study published on medical JAMA Network Open concerns some 45,000 people, half of whom received a real vaccine and the other half a placebo. More than 35% of subjects who had received a placebo experienced a systemic side effect following the first injection and 16% a localized side effect, continues the same source.

According to the authors of this study, many people attribute small problems or daily fatigue to the vaccine, especially given the waves of infox relating to the potential side effects of vaccination. The abundance of information, unfounded at times and relating to possible side effects, might be a real source of stress and anxiety leading to hypersensitivity to the slightest sensation that might follow the act of vaccination.