COVID vaccine given way too low in the arm

[SN2751, BSN, RN]

My husband was able to get his COVID vaccine today, and he got home and his injection site was so low. It looks like it hit around the brachialis muscle. I'm really hoping it actually went into the muscle. I am so frustrated that they are not training people properly to administer these valuable vaccines. It is imperative that they are given properly or it could mean decreased efficacy. I tried to research accidental IM injections in the brachialis, and I can't find anything. Should I be worried? I have NEVER seen a vaccine given so low in my nursing career. I wish I had been there to stop her. I'm considering calling the vaccine location tomorrow to notify a manager about the improper administration - not in a berating way, but to notify them, and hope it results in better training.

[toomuchbaloney]

If it got into a muscle it's likely fine. 

[JKL33]

13 hours ago, SN2751 said:

I'm considering calling the vaccine location tomorrow to notify a manager about the improper administration - not in a berating way, but to notify them, and hope it results in better training.

I would inform them; I'd send them a pic if they had the capability to receive it. This is not difficult and I have a hard time believing that we need vaccinators who can't do better than that...or that we need to train people so poorly or whatever went wrong here.

[CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN]

Definitely weird and I’m not sure how that happened. I don’t think you need to be concerned about your husband’s vaccination— a muscle is basically a muscle, as someone else said. But it does sound like they need better training, and I think it would be fine to reach out to the clinic so they can retrain their nurse. 
 

I know at my job there’s a tendency to rush things right now. So if a new per diem who is brought in to vaccinate, someone will go “You’ve given shots before, right?” And they say “Yeah” and that’s the extent of the training. (We don’t even have a nurse manager at the moment, everyone is flying blind) so I’m not surprised that people are messing stuff up. Unfortunately it’s a pandemic, we are trying to vaccinate 400 million people, and the system (by which I mean any healthcare system on earth) isn’t really set up for that. I’m sorry your husband got caught in the crosshairs. Hopefully someone will catch the problem and fix it. 

[sinusmike, ASN, BSN, MSN, PhD]

1inch below the acromion fossa, and z track has been used by my colleagues to reduce pain after injection. 

[SN2751, BSN, RN]

 

On 3/16/2021 at 1:21 AM, sinusmike said:

1inch below the acromion fossa, and z track has been used by my colleagues to reduce pain after injection. 

I wish that method had been used. I uploaded a picture to show where the injection site was -- I double checked under the bandaid as well to make sure the injection site was actually there. 

 

[pinkdoves, BSN]

oh my god what that's insane...

[SN2751, BSN, RN]

On 3/19/2021 at 3:11 PM, pinkdoves said:

oh my god what that's insane...

My thoughts exactly...

[grad2012RN]

I read that even pharmacy technicians and CNAs (they are not MAs), can give the vaccines in my state.

[jtruland]

Unfortunately, even outside the pandemic I've seen way too many vaccines given in incorrect locations.  On the bright side, this is likely better than those who inject into the bursa.

[2BS Nurse, BSN]

I wouldn't call it "insane". "Incorrect", yes. Men have a very developed muscle there. Was he injured? 

[CABGpatch_RN, BSN]

On 3/22/2021 at 9:19 AM, grad2012RN said:

I read that even pharmacy technicians and CNAs (they are not MAs), can give the vaccines in my state.

Just an fyi, pharmacy techs are schooled and licensed (at least they are in my state).