Arm Soreness After COVID-19 Vaccine? You’re Not Alone.

Is it normal to get body aches and muscle soreness after getting the COVID-19 vaccine?

According to Bloomberg, as of January 14th, the United States has administered 11.4 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The two current options for the vaccines are Pfizer/BioNtech and Moderna. 

During the same period, we saw an increasing trend of social signals indicating that injection site soreness and muscle aches 24-48 hours after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine is the most common adverse reaction. We also found that many are experiencing soreness beyond the injection site. 

While soreness is a recently reported side effect of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, it is not atypical. As a matter of fact, millions of people who receive the Influenza (flu) vaccine every year also report the same experience. 

"The reason why your arm specifically is sore is that your immune system is giving you a robust response to the flu vaccination," says Dr. Juanita Mora, an allergist/immunologist. 

Both Pfizer/BioNtech and Moderna employ a different approach to manufacturing the vaccine compared to the traditional flu vaccine. However, similar immune system responses are expected and well documented in the analysis submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by both manufacturers.