Don't Hesitate to Vaccinate64% of Covid19 Vaccine Side‑Effects Are Not Due to Vaccines, but the ‘Nocebo Effect’: Study "Medicine is based on trust… informing the public about the potential for nocebo responses could help reduce worries about COVID-19 vaccination, which might decrease vaccination hesitancy." By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Validation Is Step OneCovid19 Vaccine Linked to Only Small Changes in Menstrual Cycles, Shows U.S. Study The results are “incredibly reassuring” and “validating for people who’ve experienced menstrual disturbance [post vaccination],” the researcher said. By Saumya Kalia
Blinding ExceptionalismDjokovic’s Vaccine Row Shows Public Health Mandates Apply to Everyone — Even Great Athletes Anti-vax and anti-science statements shouldn’t be discounted irrespective of how influential the person is. By Saumya Kalia
Panic ResponseOmicron Fears Lead to a Rise in Unauthorized Booster Shots Experts say relying on doses and not taking accompanying precautions like masking could prove detrimental to health policy. By Saumya Kalia
To Boost Or Not to BoostOmicron May Shape the Vaccine Booster Dose Debate in India A government panel recently recommended booster doses for people aged 40+, but later noted the need for more experiments. By Saumya Kalia
A Familiar LanguageIn Tribal Communities, Public Health Officials Are Using Traditions to Dispel Vaccine Hesitancy Age-old concepts of “khatla baithak” helped public health officials address social media-fueled misinformation. By Saumya Kalia
Apocalypse 2.0The Buzz Cut: Tech Overlord Announces Rebrand of Company That Already Ruined the World This week in The Buzz Cut, tech CEOs get up to no good, Superman is anti-national, and a leader celebrates his contribution to the pandemic. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Accept And Move On?Govt Denies Digital Divide, Calls Article About Aadhaar’s Loopholes ‘Biased’ The Economist's article provided anecdotes of people who didn’t receive food or pension benefits for not linking their Aadhaar to old ration cards. By Devrupa Rakshit
No Time To RelaxWithout Vaccines, Covid19 Reinfections Can Occur Every 16 Months: Lancet Study The research strongly warns that policies cannot and should not rely on concepts like "herd immunity" since they're unlikely to help. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Misinformation Is Injurious To HealthYouTube Finally Bans Anti‑Vaxx Content. Why Did it Take So Long? Misinformation spreads like wildfire on the internet. YouTube's move prompts questioning tech giants on what it takes to stop this. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Social NetworkSocial Influencers May Not Be Able to Change People’s Behavior, Study Shows People from marginalized groups -- instead of viral influencers --- often hold more sway across their community, experts note. By Saumya Kalia
Kiss And TellThe Buzz Cut: France Releases Posters of People Making Out to Highlight the Joys of Post‑Vaccination Life This week in The Buzz Cut, we unpack the "Gossip Girl" reboot and the worrying trend of romanticizing eating disorders. By Saumya Kalia
Informed ConsentSensitize People About Vaccination Benefits Instead of ‘Forcing’ Them: Meghalaya HC While vaccination was an "absolute necessity," use of force or coercion violates fundamental rights like the right to means of livehood. By Aditi Murti
Just Not TrueCovaxin Does Not Contain Calf Serum, Health Ministry Says Amid Rumors Calf serum is used during early production of the vaccine, but the final dose does not contain it, according to the government's RTI response. By Aditi Murti
Shots for LoveDating Apps, Marriage Classifieds Now Allow Us To ‘Flaunt’ Our Vaccinated Status While such initiatives can help dispel vaccine hesitancy, they also become a way to gatekeep love and marriage. By Aditi Murti
Jabs For AllLess Than 5% Of India’s Transgender Population Has Received the Covid19 Vaccine Transphobia in the healthcare system, lack of valid IDs leave, and vaccine hesitancy contribute to the low numbers. By Aditi Murti