If you have received your COVID-19, you know your arm can feel a bit sore for a few days after the shot.
The pain you are experiencing is usually soreness of the muscle where the injection was given. Muscles have little tight fibers and if you seperate it by sticking a needle in there, you can cause an inflammatory reaction. The pain is also a sign that your immune system is making antibodies in response to the virus in the vaccine.
Getting your vaccination in your non-dominant arm is recommended. That way if you are writing or doing day-to-day activities you are not further aggravating the muscle more. Some additional ways to reduce the pain include trying not to tense your arm while you are being vaccinated and moving your arm after vaccination to increase blood flow to the area.
In addition to the vaccine itself, fear of needles might also influence how much pain you anticipate. Pain is subjective and everyone perceives pain differently. If you have fear of needles let your provider know before the vaccine. It is also recommended to look away and avoid watching the needle stick into your arm. In addition, focusing on something other than the needle stick while taking deep, slow breaths.
Ultimately, the soreness is related to the goal of the vaccine, which is to incite an immune response. Once the body recognizes the injection and fights them off, it will learn to identify COVID-19 and fight the virus in the future.
