Answers to Go
Q. I heard that you could get swollen lymph nodes from the COVID-19 vaccination. Is this true?
Yes. A COVID-19 A. vaccine can cause enlarged lymph nodes in your armpit or near your collarbone on the side of your body where you received the injection.
If you recently had a COVID-19 vaccination you may have experienced a sore arm, fatigue or headache — all normal signs of your body mounting an immune response.
Another common reaction to the COVID vaccine is swollen lymph nodes. This is also a common reaction to a vaccination. However, these swollen lymph nodes can show up on scans such as mammograms, CT scans, MRIs and ultrasounds. This has caused some concern since — especially in mammograms — the resulting scan of the swollen nodes can look similar to what could be an early sign of breast cancer. This makes scheduling a mammogram and a vaccine at the around the same time problematic. Ideally, it would be best to have a mammogram before the COVID vaccination to avoid any confusion about the results of the scan. However, if this is not possible, doctors recommend getting the shot anyway. Radiologists are aware of the risk of swollen lymph nodes and technicians are asking patients if they’ve recently received a COVID-19 vaccine. (MacMillan)
Another side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine has been termed “COVID arm.” While most of the common side effects from COVID-19 vaccination, including sore arm and general fatigue, occur within a few days of inoculation, there have been a growing number of reports of delayed skin reactions. (MacMillan). The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has recognized what is now being attributed as “COVID arm,” a rash surrounding the vaccination area on the arm. It could feel hot, spread to other areas and last for days. Still, health experts say it should resolve on its own. COVID arm can be treated with antihistamines, topical steroid medications and time. (Casillas).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that side effects of any kind, including an allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) are extremely rare. Even more rare is the potential for blood clots. This adverse event is rare, occurring at a rate of about 7 per 1 million vaccinated women between 18 and 49 years old. For women 50 years and older and men of all ages, this adverse event is even more rare. (CDC)
The City of San Marcos and the CDC stress that the risks associated with getting the vaccine are far outweighed by the risks of NOT getting the vaccine. To find out where to get your vaccine, call the library at 512-393-8200 or visit the website vaccine.gov.
• Casillas, L. (2021, May 6). What is 'covid arm,' 'Covid toes'? WOWK 13 News. Retrieved November 17, 2021, from https://www.wowktv.com/news/health/coronavirus/what-iscovid-arm-covid-toes/.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Safety of covid-19 vaccines Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved December 8, 2021 from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/safety-of-vacc....
• MacMillan, C. (2021, March 30). Medical experts spread word about harmless COVID-19 vaccine reactions. Yale Medicine. Retrieved November 17, 2021, from https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/vaccine-reactions.
Suzanne Sanders is the new columnist for the library. She is the Community Services Manager for the San Marcos Public Library and came from the Austin Public Library in 2015 after having served there as a librarian for over 20 years. She gratefully accepts your questions for this column.
