Impact of media coverage on side effect reports from the COVID-19 vaccine

Objective: Past research shows that media coverage of medicine side effects can produce a nocebo response. New Zealand news media discussed myocarditis following the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. This study examined whether side effects mentioned in the media increased compared to control symptoms not mentioned.Methods: The study analysed 64,086 vaccine adverse reaction reports, retrieved from the medicine safety au-thority. Generalised linear regressions compared the side effect rate during three discrete periods of media reporting (August 2021, December 2021, April 2022) with the pre-media baseline rate. The outcomes were weekly reports of chest discomfort, monthly reports of chest, heart and breathing symptoms, and myocarditis, pericarditis, and anxiety. Control symptoms were fever, numbness, and musculoskeletal pain. Logistic re-gressions investigated factors associated with side effect reporting.Results: The reporting rate of chest discomfort was 190% greater in the five weeks after the first media item (p < .001). The monthly reporting rates of the symptoms mentioned in the media were significantly greater after the news coverage (ps <= 0.001). There was no effect of media on the control side effect fever (p = .06). There was an effect of media on myocarditis, pericarditis and anxiety (ps < 0.001). Anxiety, male gender, and younger age were significantly associated with side effects.Conclusion: The results indicate that a media-induced nocebo response occurred. This is most likely due to increased expectations and awareness of COVID-19 vaccine side effects, elevated symptom experience from anxiety, and consequently greater reporting of the symptoms in line with the media coverage.

Automated summary

This study examined the impact of media coverage on side effects of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in New Zealand. The results showed that the reporting rate of mentioned side effects significantly increased after media coverage, while control symptoms were not affected. The findings suggest that a media-induced nocebo response occurred, possibly due to increased expectations and awareness of vaccine side effects, as well as heightened symptom experience from anxiety.