How to reduce arm pain after vaccination

During vaccination:

• Keep your arms relaxed. “Keep your arms very relaxed,” Davis says. “The tighter your arm is, the more damage you’re going to do when you put the needle in.” If you really hate getting vaccines, consider using tools to distract yourself from the pain of the needle, Salinger suggests; you can find them online, Cost a few dollars each. The semi-circular device has several small plastic tips that you stick to the skin near the injection site. “The idea is that if you poke yourself gently in a few places, your body won’t really feel the main injection,” Salinger says.

After vaccination:

• Cool the area. Davis says ice packs or cold compresses can help relieve pain and swelling.
• Take painkillers. Over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen can help relieve side effects after the injection, Davis said. Be sure to ask your doctor what medications you can take.
• Move your arms. Keeping your arms active can also help reduce pain. “Even if it’s just a rotation of the arm, these types of movements will help prevent the arm from becoming stiff and help the vaccine circulate throughout the system,” Davis said. Some people believe lifting weights after getting the vaccine will help. , but “it doesn’t have to be that extreme,” he added.

Remember the benefits of the flu shot

It’s important to remember that although uncomfortable, arm pain from the flu shot and other regular vaccines is less severe than severe illness from the flu, COVID-19, RSV, pneumonia, shingles, and other similar illnesses.

Preliminary estimates suggest that influenza will send as many as 670,000 people to the hospital during the 2022-2023 flu season; according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the majority of patients hospitalized for influenza are age 65 and older.

In addition to reducing the chance of severe illness, getting the flu shot and other recommended vaccines can help protect the community, Davis said. “We know that when more people are vaccinated, it means there are fewer cases of influenza circulating in the community. It means that, as a community, people are healthier,” he said.

Doctors and health officials recommend getting your flu shot before Halloween to give your body enough time to build up defenses before viral activity really ramps up. (And, according to health officials, you can get the new COVID-19 vaccine at the same time.) If you miss this window, get vaccinated as soon as possible. Better late than never, Davis said.