Shoulder pain is a common side effect of a vaccine.
Usually, it gets better fairly quickly and causes no long-term problems.
However, some people develop a rare problem called shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA).
What Is SIRVA?
It’s common to feel some pain in your arm after you have a shot.
Sometimes, the shoulder pain that comes on after a vaccine does not get better.
When this happens, it’s called shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA).
What Causes SIRVA?
Vaccines are safe and effective.
SIRVA is not resulting from the ingredients in a vaccine.
It is due to improper needle insertion into the joint capsule rather than the deltoid muscle.
What Are the Symptoms of SIRVA?
The signs and symptoms of SIRVA include:
How Is SIRVA Treated?
These treatments can take weeks or even months to work.
Surgery is not usually needed for SIRVA.
However, there is a more serious kind of pain that can happen after vaccination.
Shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) is rare but it does happen.
If you do have lingering pain after a vaccine, talk to your provider.
If you have SIRVA, there are ways that it can be treated.
However, there are problems that can occur, including chronic shoulder pain resulting from incorrectly administered injections.
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Published 2022 Jun 30.
