Why Does My Arm Hurt After a Vaccination?
Key takeaways:
Arm pain is a common side effect of vaccinations and is caused by your immune system responding to the vaccine you received.
Taking over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) after your vaccination can help reduce the pain you experience.
Arm pain after a vaccination is usually fast-passing and should resolve within a few days.
It’s no secret that vaccines have side effects. It’s common to have a low fever or feel like you’re “coming down” with something in the days following a vaccination. Children and infants might be tired or fussy right after receiving childhood immunizations. But one of the most common side effects is pain or tenderness where you received the shot.
Even though they are expected, these reactions can be bothersome or interfere with your routine. And while you know it’s likely only a temporary nuisance, you may be wondering why it happens in the first place.
Here, we’ll discuss why vaccines cause arm pain, how you can help relieve it, and when you should reach out to your provider about it.
Why you may feel arm pain after receiving any vaccine
When you receive a vaccine, your body initially thinks it’s been injured, similar to when you get a cut or scrape. It sends immune system cells to your arm any time your skin is broken to investigate what happened. Once your immune cells realize there’s an “invader” — in this case, the vaccine — in your arm, they signal your body to relax the blood vessels around the area and send more immune cells to help fight.
This process is called vaccine reactogenicity. It allows your immune system to create antibodies — infection-fighting proteins — that will help prevent you from getting sick if you ever come into contact with the real virus or bacteria. Part of this process includes producing inflammation. The more inflammation your body creates, the more sore and swollen your arm will be.
How to reduce pain after vaccination
There are a few things you can do to help relieve arm pain after receiving a vaccine:
Keep your arm moving in the hours following your shot.
Apply a cool compress or ice pack to help reduce swelling and redness. If you use an ice pack, only apply it for 20 minutes at a time with at least a 20-minute break before applying it again.
Take an over-the-counter pain reliever like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) if needed for pain after your shot.
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Experts do not recommend taking pain relievers before receiving a vaccination. Doing this isn’t always helpful, and there’s concern that it could interfere with your immune system’s response to the vaccine.
Will I feel pain only around the injection site?
Most of the time, the pain or discomfort you feel after a vaccination is limited to the area where you received the shot. But muscle aches are also a possible vaccine side effect. These might feel similar to what you feel shortly before getting sick with a cold or the seasonal flu. This is different from injection pain, as this side effect usually affects your whole body instead of just your arm.
These aches are a sign your immune system is responding to and learning from the vaccine and can also be alleviated with your over-the-counter pain reliever of choice.
How long does arm pain last?
For most people, arm pain starts within 24 hours of receiving a vaccination and can last for about a day or two. This experience can vary based on which vaccine you are receiving.
For example, Shingrix (the shingles vaccine) tends to cause more intense pain and lasts longer than other shots. Before receiving a vaccination, ask your provider or pharmacist how long arm pain typically lasts for that particular vaccine.
Will pain and other symptoms be worse after receiving a second shot?
It may be. While everyone’s immune system is unique, it is not unusual for injection site reactions — pain, swelling, or redness — or other side effects to be worse with “booster” shots. While this is most often seen with routine childhood immunizations that require multiple injections, it can happen with adult immunizations as well, including the pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine and the two-dose mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
Is arm pain more common with the COVID-19 vaccine?
By now, you’ve probably heard — or maybe experienced firsthand — that both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines can cause more noticeable side effects than other adult vaccinations, including arm pain. In fact, between 65% and 82% of people experience injection site soreness afterwards, and this side effect is more common with Moderna’s shot.
As with all two-dose vaccines, those getting either Pfizer’s or Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccination are more likely to experience arm pain after the second dose. This side effect is also more common if you are under 65 years old. It’s possible for this tenderness to last up to 7 days — a bit longer than with most other vaccinations. Just remember, the tips for reducing arm pain mentioned earlier are also helpful for soreness caused by the COVID-19 vaccine.
When is arm pain after a vaccine a sign of something more serious?
For most people, arm pain after a vaccine is generally mild and a quick-passing problem. But there are some times when you should contact your provider. Keep in mind that these reactions are rare and are not necessarily signs you cannot receive future vaccinations.
If the person giving you a shot inserts the needle too high, you can develop shoulder problems, including nerve pain and limited range of motion. When this happens, arm pain will start within two days of your vaccination, continue longer than what is typical for that vaccine, and will not feel better if you take pain relievers. This issue is preventable, needs to be treated by your provider, and should be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).
While true allergies (closing of the throat or swelling of the face, neck, and lips) to vaccines are rare, painful rashes after receiving a shot are more common. It is not unusual for these reactions to happen several days to weeks later. This type of side effect is not always a sign of an allergy, but it could be. If you notice a rash or hives where you received a vaccination, you should be seen by your provider.
Other ways your body may respond to a vaccine
A sore, red, or swollen arm is just one of several common side effects from vaccines. Other expected reactions include headache, a low-grade fever (temperature less than 100.4℉), tiredness, and muscle aches. These are all signs your immune system is responding to the vaccine, and they should resolve within a few days.
The bottom line
Arm pain is a common side effect after receiving any vaccine. This temporary discomfort is caused by your immune system reacting to the shot. For most people, the soreness is relatively mild and will only be felt around the area where you were injected. If your pain doesn’t let up after a few days or you develop a rash on your arm, let your provider know. Otherwise, feel free to take an over-the-counter pain reliever and know that this side effect should resolve quickly.
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