Reasons why you should not massage your arm after getting the Covid-19 vaccine

Covid-19 vaccinationis one of the main keys to protecting people during the pandemic. Whichever vaccine you choose, you need to follow the instructions to maximize the ability to produce immunity and reduce side effects.

Experts recommend that people should not be too stressed before or after vaccination, and avoid using too many painkillers. In addition, people who have been vaccinated should avoid rubbing the injection site to avoid putting pressure on the area.

Causes of pain at the injection site

Soreness and stiffness at the injection site are common side effects after vaccination. These can last for several days and make it difficult to move your arm.

A sore arm is an early response that shows your body recognizes the vaccine. When you get a vaccine, your body sees it as an injury, like a cut or bleed, and sends immune cells to your arm.

Doctors and nurses of the hospital participate in Covid-19 vaccination for Vinh city residents. Photo: PV

As part of this process, your immune cells also cause inflammation. This protects you from being exposed to the same germ again. Experts call this vaccine hypersensitivity. Some arm irritation also comes from the muscles reacting to the small amount of vaccine fluid that was injected.

In addition to pain, some people experience redness and swelling near the injection site.

Does rubbing the injection site cause irritation?

Some local reactions to vaccines, such as stiffness or swelling at the injection site, can be quite painful. While gentle massage may feel good, experts advise against it. They say it can reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine.

One of the main reasons is that the Covid-19 vaccine is injected into the upper arm. Massaging the injection site can prevent the drug from being absorbed. Such an action can also lead to unwanted side effects, causing inflammation and pain.

Doctors recommend avoiding massaging the injection site for several hours after vaccination because that's when the vaccine reaches its highest concentration.

Benefits of massage before injection

If you have ever received any type of vaccine, you will have seen some healthcare workers gently massage the skin before injecting it. This is a clinical practice widely used around the world, softening and relaxing the muscles in the arm, making the vaccine more effective.

However, some studies have found that such manipulation slows the absorption of some vaccines.