STUDY: Why Vaccine Side Effects Are Sometimes in Your Head

Now here’s something you may not have heard about. Or would have even expected.

A new study says more than half of the adverse effects people have from the COVID vaccines experience are not from the actual vaccine, but a psychological reaction to it. The researchers say it is related to what is known as the “placebo effect” 

The placebo effect is when someone says they have fewer symptoms even if the medication or treatment they have is not directly related. In effect, the placebo effect makes someone feel better because it’s how they think they should feel from their medication or treatment.

This new study suggests the same thing, in an opposite way.  The researchers say that when people believe their medication or treatment can cause harm, they can experience unpleasant side-effects, also known as what they call the “nocebo effect”.

The study looked at data from 12 clinical trials testing the safety of the vaccines for COVID-19.

After the first shot, more than 35 percent of those in the placebo group, those who did not get the real vaccine, still reported adverse reactions that affected the whole body such as fever. 19 percent of those in the placebo group reported headaches and 16 percent reported fatigue.

Interestingly, the researchers’ analysis also found that more than half (52%) of the side-effects among vaccinated individuals came from the nocebo effect.

In other words, this research suggests that when it comes to worrying about the vaccines, a lot of it may just be in our heads.

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