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A recent study has indicated a correlation between political beliefs and the reporting of adverse side effects from COVID-19 vaccines in the United States. Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the research analyzed over 620,000 adverse event reports submitted by adults to the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). The findings highlight that states with a higher proportion of Republican voters reported a greater number of vaccine-related adverse effects.
The researchers explored different outcomes:
- The overall rate of adverse events
- The occurrence of severe side effects
- The ratio of reports classified as severe among vaccine recipients
Their analysis revealed that a 10% increase in Republican voting within a state correlated with a significant rise in the odds of adverse event reports being filed. This trend was specific to COVID-19 vaccines and was not observed in relation to flu vaccine reports, which they say suggested a unique intersection between political affiliation and perceptions of vaccine safety.

The research also acknowledges the inherent side effects of all vaccines, including those for COVID-19. It references a multi-country study identifying a heightened risk of conditions such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, myocarditis, and pericarditis following coronavirus vaccinations.
The researchers added that the likelihood of encountering these conditions is significantly higher following a COVID-19 infection than from the vaccination itself.