Study shows nocebo effect may influence the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine
People's negative expectations and general attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccine are significantly correlated with the occurrence and intensity of its most common side effects such as fatigue, muscle pain, headache and injection site pain.
This is suggested by a study published in the Psychological Science journal and led by scientists from the University of Bologna, who investigated how adverse effects reported after vaccination can be influenced by the nocebo effect, the opposite of the placebo effect.
A team of scientists from the Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences at the University of Bologna, in collaboration with a number of international research laboratories, decided to investigate whether and to what extent fear, expectations and beliefs about the vaccine have an effect on the occurrence and severity of possible adverse effects. This is referred to as the 'nocebo effect', a phenomenon that occurs as a consequence of negative expectations and beliefs, which can activate or reinforce possible side effects.
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