Swelling typically appeared within two to four days after vaccination. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) reports that 11.6 percent of vaccine recipients experienced swollen lymph nodes after one COVID-19 dose, and 16 percent after the second. Three had received the Pfizer-BioTech vaccine the fourth had received the Moderna vaccine. Some of the swollen lymph nodes could be felt, others were visible only through imaging that their doctors ordered.Īll four had recently received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in their upper arms a week to two weeks earlier. Since COVID-19 vaccinations started in December, radiologists started noticing swollen lymph nodes on mammograms and other imaging studies, and then realized these patients had been recently vaccinated for COVID-19.Īn article recently published in the journal Clinical Imaging described four case studies in which four women with no history of breast cancer had swollen lymph nodes. “The swelling may be a sign that the body is making antibodies in response to the vaccine as intended.” Case Studies “It’s a normal occurrence while your body is building an immune response to fight the virus,” Dr. However, this does not happen to everyone, as everyone is different, she says. They indicate that your body is marshalling its powers to fight the perceived intruder – exactly what is supposed to happen following inoculation. Those lumps are in response to COVID-19 vaccine, Dr. Physicians are learning that the two COVID-19 vaccines currently in use can cause your lymph nodes to swell on the same side where you received the shot. Marshall is Division Chief, Breast Imaging at UH Cleveland Medical Center. Sign up below to be added to our Daily Health Stories distribution list.If you’ve received the COVID-19 vaccine and later feel a new lump or tenderness under your arm, near your armpit or on your neck, you might be worried that you’ve found cancer.īut you can put that worry firmly aside – at least for a couple of weeks, says radiology-breast imaging specialist Holly Marshall, MD. She said mammograms can be lifesaving and it’s important to get the screening when you’re due. Dean encourages women to see it through and simply let your medical team know you’ve recently been vaccinated. If you happen to have a routine mammogram scheduled around the time of your COVID-19 vaccine, Dr. They may send you for imaging studies, such as an ultrasound of your lymph nodes up under your arm and then we can just kind of follow you and make sure that everything is responding as we would expect in a typical vaccine reaction,” said Dr. “Your doctor may be able to reassure you. Dean recommends talking it through with your health care provider for peace of mind and next steps. However, lymph node swelling is sometimes associated with cancer, causing some people to worry.Īny time you find lumps or bumps that are concerning, Dr. She added that this is a common response to vaccination, in general. She noted, the swelling is almost always on the same side where they were vaccinated, and typically returns to normal about four weeks later. Dean said a small number of patients have reported swollen lymph nodes under the arm two-to-four days after vaccination, on average. “And that seems to be especially true following the COVID vaccine.”ĭr. “We know that lymph node swelling can be a common reaction, or side effect, to any vaccine – especially the flu vaccine or the shingles vaccine that we’ve had lots of experience with over the years,” she said. Laura Dean, MD, a breast cancer specialist with Cleveland Clinic, said it simply means your body is responding to the immunization as it should – and it’s not unusual. CLEVELAND – If you’ve received a COVID-19 vaccine, you may have noticed some swollen lymph nodes.īelieve it or not, that’s actually a good sign.
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