Which shot hurts the most

One friend who got the Pfizer shot said it felt like he had been punched by a professional boxer. For symptoms like arm pain, individual variation is the norm, and studies suggest multiple explanations. Age can diminish immune reactions, for example. So can higher BMIs, found a recent preprint study. Genetics likely plays a role in varied and complex ways, experts say.

And gender matters, too. In addition to a vast literature on sex differences and immunity, women appear to experience more side effects then men in response to a COVID vaccine, according to emerging evidence , even though men seem to suffer a larger impact from the virus itself. Pain perception is another X-factor.

Everyone processes pain signals differently. And fear and anxiety can exacerbate the feelings of pain, says Anna Taddio , a pharmacy professor who studies pain related to medical procedures in children at the University of Toronto. Studies show that fear of needles is an important barrier to vaccination for a significant number of people. A quarter of adults reported being afraid of needles in a study by Taddio and colleagues. According to one new analysis of published studies, 16 percent of adults and 27 percent of hospital employees avoided flu shots because of needle fears.

Amidst efforts to get people vaccinated as quickly as possible, public health officials often overlook opportunities to make the experience more positive, says Taddio, who has developed an approach for reducing fear and promoting coping skills to improve the vaccination experience. And there are plenty of simple ways to make people feel less anxious about needles.

All rights reserved. Danger signals A variety of vaccines are notorious for the soreness they cause around the injection site, and the explanation for why begins with so-called antigen-presenting cells. Sore-arm profiles All three FDA-approved COVID vaccines are delivered via a needle into the arm, and all cause the same kind of poking pain that comes with a quick stab.

A more surprising reaction Soon after the Moderna vaccine was approved in December, allergist and researcher Kimberly Blumenthal began receiving photographs of arms from colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Share Tweet Email. Read This Next Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London. Animals Wild Cities Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London Love them or hate them, there's no denying their growing numbers have added an explosion of color to the city's streets.

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These side effects are normal signs that the body is building protection and should go away within a few days. So far, reactions reported after getting a booster shot were similar to those after the two-dose or single-dose primary series. Fever, headache, fatigue and pain at the injection site were the most commonly reported side effects, and overall, most side effects were mild to moderate.

However, as with the two-dose or single-dose primary series, serious side effects are rare , but may occur. In most cases, discomfort from pain or fever is a normal sign that the body is building protection. Contact a doctor or healthcare provider:. If you or your child get a COVID vaccine and you think you or they might be having a severe allergic reaction after leaving the vaccination site, seek immediate medical care by calling If you or your child is fully vaccinated, you can participate in many of the activities that you did prior to the pandemic.

Learn more about what you can do when you have been fully vaccinated. After vaccination, enroll yourself or your child in v-safe , a free, easy-to-use, and confidential smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after COVID vaccination. Through v-safe, you can report how you or your child is feeling after getting vaccinated.

V-safe also reminds you to get your second dose. For one, the pain level can depend on the type of medicine being injected. Most medicines are pH balanced, but some experts reportedly say those that are more acidic can cause more stinging when injected, according to the Wall Street Journal. Along with flu shots, others that tend to cause stinging and soreness later are tetanus, MMR measles, mumps and rubella , pneumonia, typhoid, and some antibiotics, like penicillin, Stewart explained.

Consistency and temperature can also impact the sting or soreness related with a shot. They're stored cold, so you have to make sure that you warm them up before you give them. Placement of the vaccine can also impact which shots hurt most. Shots given in muscles — like the deltoid in the upper arm where flu shots are usually given — tend to be more painful than ones that aren't injected into the muscle, Stewart said. And, when you get a muscular injection, that needle is a little bit bigger, too.

Unfortunately, the pain associated with a vaccine can continue for a little while after the injection itself. Stewart said pain should go away within two or three days and recommends taking aspirin or ibuprofen and applying ice and a warm compress to alleviate pain and inflammation. Along with the COVID vaccine, the shingles vaccine, Shingrix , can cause more and longer-lasting pain than other vaccines. The flu vaccine, on the other hand, usually causes less pain, explains Anderson.

For the most part, reactions are mild and go away in a few days. But there are some instances where you should contact your healthcare provider for medical advice. Arm pain is inconvenient, but it should go away after a day or two.

COVID arm is a local reaction by your immune system, meaning it occurs around the injection site. You may experience:. In both cases, a very small number. Palli explains.