Getting your annual flu shot is the first and most important step in protecting yourself and your loved ones against an unavoidable flu season.
For the most part, that flu shot comes with only minor side effects —fatigue, headache or muscle aches, a mild fever—and they're much more manageable than getting the flu itself. Another side effect from the flu vaccine —arguably the most common one—is pain, swelling, or redness where the shot was given. On the surface, it makes sense: Of course you'll have arm pain if you get a flu shot in your arm.
But is your arm really supposed to be that sore after a tiny needle delivers the vaccine? Turns out, there's a little more to that localized arm pain, according to experts. Here's why it tends to happen, and what you can do to lessen the discomfort, both before and after the jab. There are actually a few different things that can lead to you having a little arm soreness after your flu shot, infectious disease expert Amesh A. For starters, the flu shot is an intramuscular vaccine , which means that it's injected directly into a muscle in your arm.
The CDC says that your deltoid muscle—the muscle that covers your shoulder joint—is the "preferred site" of the shot. This pain is also a sign that your immune system is making antibodies in response to the viruses in the vaccine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC , in most cases vaccine side effects are minor and go away within a few days. Side effects vary according to vaccine type , such as flu , shingles , or pneumonia. Generally mild side effects of vaccines may include:.
Skip to main content Search for a topic or drug. Why does your arm hurt after vaccination? By Risa Kerslake Aug. Top Reads in Health Education. Diabetes and exercise Nov. What is insulin resistance? Do coffee and diabetes mix? Diabetes in women Nov. Looking for a prescription? While redness, swelling, muscle aches and sometimes low-grade fevers temperatures under degrees F are typical side effects after receiving an influenza vaccination, there can be some rare and serious side effects including difficulty breathing and swelling around the eyes or lips.
If you are experiencing dizziness, a racing heart or a high fever greater than seek medical attention right away. The most common allergic reaction is found in people allergic to eggs.
This is because egg proteins are one of the products in the flu vaccine. However, if you have an egg allergy , you can still get the flu shot. Talk to your doctor about the best way to get vaccinated.
Even if you received a flu shot in a previous year, you should still protect yourself with a new vaccination this year. This is because the vaccine is developed based on the specific flu strains scientists expect to be the most dangerous this year.
Doctors recommend getting vaccinated in fall, but it is never too late to get the flu shot. Getting it late is better than not at all.
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