Aches, pains, and redness? It will go away soon.
You made the appointment, you masked up and you ventured out. You finally got your coronavirus vaccine, and now it’s settling in: a vague feeling of uneasiness. It’s not that you don’t trust the vaccine will work, but it’s your arm. It now feels heavy and aches. In addition, you have a red rash that’s suspiciously beginning to cover the area of your injection. Should you be concerned?
While it may all seem alarming, experts say, no, not really. What you have is being dubbed by the public as “COVID arm”. It occurs in some people and experts say that it’s actually relatively harmless. Some people experience itchy skin around the coronavirus vaccine injection site and others have red bumps that pop up. (Most people, of course, have no side effects after receiving the vaccine).
When does it happen? Covid arm can arise anywhere from five to even ten days after you get your shot. Medical experts are saying it all amounts to a delayed allergic reaction to the ingredients present in the vaccine, and it’s a small reaction that shouldn’t raise alarm bells. This type of thing is something that can happen with other shots as well, when getting anything from the MMR vaccine to a polio or tetanus shot.
How Many People Get It?
Thankfully, COVID arm is usually a brief event, and it’s relatively mild. Eventually, it goes away. The other bit of good news is that it is also very unlikely to hit you. In the Moderna vaccine trials, just 244 participants out of 15,000 people experienced the phenomenon after their first shot of coronavirus vaccine. That’s only about 0.016% of participants! The Moderna clinical trials showed COVID arm is more likely to occur after your first dose of the vaccine and less likely after the second, and your chances of getting it are truly slimmer than a stick of spaghettini.
Related: Hand Sanitizer From Mexico: Why It Can Be Dangerous
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), other side effects of the coronavirus vaccine include pain and swelling at the injection site, fever, chills, a headache, and feeling tired. Taking an over-the-counter medicine such as ibuprofen (Advil), acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin, or an antihistamine could help relieve some of this unpleasantness. Exercising your arm is also advised, as it could help to reduce your discomfort by getting your blood flowing. The CDC advises that you drink plenty of water and wear light clothing if you experience a fever as a side effect of the vaccine. And of course, you should always contact your doctor if you are concerned about your side effects.
Don’t Do This
What should you avoid doing? While the CDC advises taking a pain reliever after getting your coronavirus vaccine, it actually warns against taking one before. This is because researchers don’t yet know if pain relievers like Tylenol reduce your body’s response to the injection. Could an anti-inflammatory reduce your antibody response to the vaccine, rendering the shot less effective? No one yet knows for sure.
To be on the safe side, avoid taking pain relievers and other over-the-counter medication prior to getting your coronavirus vaccine. If you experience COVID arm or another side effect like a fever, experts say you can take the medication after, as your body has presumably already ramped up its antibody response, and this is what is giving you your aches and pains. Treating your unwanted symptoms at this point is OK.
For more information on coronavirus vaccines and what they can do for you, click here and here and stay safe.
photo credits: aerogondo2/Shutterstock.com
