(ANSA) – BOLOGNA, MAY 02 – Negative expectations and more generally people’s attitude towards the anti Covid-19 vaccine are significantly correlated to the onset and intensity of the most common side effects such as tiredness, pain muscles, headache and pain at the injection site. This is suggested by a study published in the journal ‘Psychological Science’ and led by scholars from the University of Bologna which showed that the discomforts reported after vaccination can be influenced by the nocebo effect, the opposite of the placebo effect.
“Psychological variables such as beliefs about vaccines, fear, trust and expectations explain 30% of the intensity of symptoms,” explains Katia Mattarozzi, professor in the department of medical and surgical sciences at the University of Bologna and first author of the study . “This result underlines the contribution of nocebo effects – he adds – or neuro-psycho-biological mechanisms linked to the individual’s previous experiences, beliefs and expectations, which are activated whenever a person takes a pharmacological molecule and which influence its pharmacodynamics “.
The scholars took into consideration a sample of 315 people investigating during the 15-minute waiting time following vaccination. After one day, the presence and severity of any adverse effects were then recorded, partly caused by negative expectations and fears regarding the vaccine. For Marozzi “health professionals, scientific institutions, governments and the media share the responsibility of effectively communicating the benefits and potential adverse effects of vaccines with the aim of increasing population acceptance of the vaccine, understanding of its important benefits for individual and collective health, and prevent nocebo effects”. (HANDLE).
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