Vaccine hesitancy predicts future COVID-19 vaccine side effects
Bar-Ilan UniversityThe precise relationship between vaccine hesitancy and COVID-19 vaccination side effects has not previously been explored in vaccinated persons. A fundamental question arises in regard to the directionality of this vaccine hesitancy-vaccine side effect link, namely which variable predicts which. One possibility is that side effects from an earlier dose predict one’s vaccine hesitancy towards a later dose. Alternatively, one’s psychological negativity (hesitancy) towards an earlier dose could predict subsequent side effects from a later vaccination dose. The latter direction reflects a Nocebo effect, i.e., side effects driven by psychological factors rather than by an active treatment component. Results showed only the latter direction to be true. Namely, only earlier vaccine hesitancy towards the second COVID-19 dose predicted subsequent nocebo side-effects following the booster vaccination. To put this in perspective up to 16% of one’s vaccine side effects were explained by earlier va