ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Questions about necessity, side effects, misinformation, microchips, and FDA approval are all connected to COVID vaccine hesitancy. But trypanophobia—the fear of needles—could be keeping as many as a quarter of the population from getting their shots.
An estimated 25% of Americans have a fear of needles and 16% skip getting vaccines because of that fear, according to Harvard Medical School. Sometimes trypanophobia stems from a traumatic childhood event or a past health issue. Sometimes there is no known cause, and some reactions to needles—like fainting—are linked to genetics, according to Harvard.