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https://theconversation.com/anticipating-a-side-effect-makes-it-more-likely-youll-experience-it-this-could-contribute-to-vaccine-hesitancy-180331>
"The COVID pandemic has highlighted several interesting features of modern
medical practice – most recently the “nocebo” response, which may account for a
significant number of side effects people experience following vaccination.
Nocebo responses (from Latin noci: to harm) are the opposite of the better
known placebo. While the latter describes improvements in symptoms following
inert medication, the nocebo response heightens symptoms if a person
anticipates them. It can increase pain if someone expects something will hurt.
A fascinating meta-analysis examined data from 12 clinical trials of COVID
vaccines, involving over 45,000 participants, and found about two-thirds of
common side effects people experience after vaccination could be due to a
nocebo response, rather than the vaccine itself.
Nocebo responses can be troublesome and significant. They include headaches,
fatigue, muscle pains, nausea or diarrhoea. Such symptoms may be related to
anxiety or negative expectations, or day-to-day sensations being incorrectly
attributed to a treatment.
While previous analysis in other fields had already confirmed the presence of
nocebo responses in randomised trials, COVID vaccine research dramatically
highlights its frequency.
The latest study found up to 35% of patients in the placebo arm of vaccine
trials had adverse events such as headaches and fatigue. Mathematical analysis
showed 50-75% of patient symptoms after the real vaccination (not placebo) may
have been caused by those nocebo responses.
A different group of researchers from Italy reviewed other COVID vaccine trials
and confirmed these conclusions. These findings are potentially significant, as
vaccine hesitancy and refusal have been linked to patient concerns about side
effects or major adverse events. Knowing how frequently self-limiting nocebo
responses happen may reduce vaccine hesitancy."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
