Is Anxiety A Reason Behind Side Effects Post COVID Vaccination?

New Delhi: It’s all in the mind. The way you react to a situation determines the consequences. Similarly, with medical conditions, the way your mind reacts to a problem has a direct bearing on the side effects on the body. This has also been true during COVID-19.

A report by the National Adverse Events Following Immunisation Committee (National AEFI Committee) says anxiety was a major reason behind more than 30 per cent of the reported adverse events post-vaccination in India.

In a study of 88 cases by the government panel, 61 had a consistent causal association to vaccination, 37 were product-related reactions, 22 anxiety-related reactions and two were error-related. Eighteen cases were found to have an inconsistent causal association to vaccination (coincidental – not linked to vaccination), including three deaths, while nine cases were in the intermediate category, including two deaths, India Today reported.

The report suggested that women were found to have more anxiety than men in taking the vaccine due to a phobia of needles. Of the total 61 cases of AEFI, only nine adverse events were reported after taking Covaxin while the rest were after taking the Covishield jab. Of the 22 anxiety-related cases, 16 were post-vaccination with Covishield and the rest after taking Covaxin.

The results of the causal assessment were completed on June 28 after review and approval by the AEFI committee.

Should anxiety be included in the list of serious side effects post-vaccination?

‘No’, said Dr Jitender Nagpal, clinical psychologist and psychiatrist, Delhi’s Moolchand Hospital.

“In other vaccines too, anxiety was reported among the beneficiaries but not as an AEFI. Lack of sleep, excessive worry, breathlessness have been noted as side effects of vaccination but it was never recognised as an AEFI,” Dr Nagpal was quoted as saying.

On why anxiety was reported in more than 50 per cent of serious AEFI cases, he said excessive worry of the result after taking the vaccine could be a reason.

According to him, anxiety was a coping mechanism after taking the vaccine which is more severe than day-to-day anxiousness. “Since Covid-19 vaccines are new and not enough side effects are known about them, it is natural to get anxious and overthink about the outcome,” Nagpal told India Today.

“Will it (Covid-19 vaccines) lead to a physical ailment, muscular inactivity or any other issues add to the extreme worries among the beneficiaries. Besides, rumours like turning impotent after vaccination are also triggering anxiety among beneficiaries,” Nagpal added.