Covid Vaccine Given Too High On Arm

[andrusia]

 

The bruise was the injection site administered by a pharmacy tech at Walgreens.  Can't remember how far away my arm was from the side, so it's possible that the bursa was irritated.  Appears to be 3 cm below the lower edge of the acromion, though I think it should be 5-6 cm to avoid the bursa.  Any nurses care to comment?  I know that you would get your vaccines at the hospital, but would you go back to a Walgreens for shots?

[Jake Seboly]

9 hours ago, CABGpatch_RN said:

I'm not sure about it going into the shoulder joint however. 

Are you saying that because the shot was off center?

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

@Jake Seboly - if you have concerns, you should contact the facility/location where you received the vaccine. They are in a better position to assess the injection location and any potential need for re-vaccination. Good luck!

[Jake Seboly]

Thank you all for the answers. I have aches and chills right now so I think the vaccine is working (it was my second Pfizer shot). I'm just very concerned about a shoulder injury. 

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

24 minutes ago, Jake Seboly said:

Thank you all for the answers. I have aches and chills right now so I think the vaccine is working (it was my second Pfizer shot). I'm just very concerned about a shoulder injury. 

If you are worried about injury you should notify the agency who gave it now, so that they can see injection site, otherwise should you develop problems it will be your word against theirs. 

[42pines]

On 3/26/2021 at 10:27 PM, CommunityRNBSN said:

I do not think it’s a Walgreens problem. In order to vaccinate 400 million people, LOTS of people are being drafted to vaccinate. At our clinic (an FQHC), if you have any sort of license that allows you to vaccinate, you’re up. Here are the syringes, get out there and get moving. So, no, everyone is not an expert vaccinator. Should we be doing more training and shadowing?  Sure, there are a lot of things that would be happening if we weren’t in the middle of a pandemic. My point is— don’t blame Walgreens. Going to a clinic or hospital wouldn’t guarantee a better outcome for shots.  In future if you’re anxious, you can always ask the tech to point with her finger where she’s going to inject. 

Good point, however, I'd say "blame Walgreens" for they are the person who hired the "injector."  They are the ones who are responsible for competency and are required to have employees prove competency and/or be trained.  Too high and you can end up with long-term damage of a SIRVA type, too low and the injection hits the Radial nerve and possibly say goodbye to the use of that arm---possibly forever.  The "ask the tech" to point is a good idea as long as they wipe the spot with alcohol...

[42pines]

On 3/30/2021 at 8:55 PM, Marie Bailey said:

"... but it’s better than going too low & inadvertently administering it SQ; this could result in reduced serum antibodies. ..."

 

Actually, recently, I thought the same, however, an accidental sq still will produce adequate antibodies, just as an FYI. 

For a neat article on it read:

1)   mRNA Vaccines: What Happens

Lowe, Derek  See: https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2021/01/21/mrna-vaccines-what-happens

[techitalia, EMT-B]

I hope your feeling better, and yes that was too high up!! I cringe everytime I see nurses, new one's, old one's, other emt's giving ridiculous and embarassing shots, using weird method's, sloppy handling of sharps. Seen it all after giving these mass vaccinations! 

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

So true handydandy. I got mine from med students and I made sure we discussed where it should go. 

[abc_3040]

I know this thread is old but is this location too high? Seems higher than where they usually give them. There was light bleeding afterwards

[toomuchbaloney]

7 minutes ago, abc_3040 said:

I know this thread is old but is this location too high? Seems higher than where they usually give them. There was light bleeding afterwards

It looks fine. 

[Charlcie, BSN, RN]

On 9/26/2021 at 5:42 PM, abc_3040 said:

I know this thread is old but is this location too high? Seems higher than where they usually give them. There was light bleeding afterwards

Looks good to me. Some vaccines cause more site reaction and soreness than others which I think can make us pay more attention to where the injection went.