Some people are experiencing a rash on their arm after getting their COVID vaccine, USA Today reports. The rash, which can be as large as five or six inches across, always occurs on the arm where the shot was given. It’s red, and can also be itchy and painful to the touch. Patients are dubbing it “COVID arm,” while doctors refer to it as “delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity,” which is a delayed and exaggerated immune response. Esther Freeman, MD, a principal investigator at the global COVID-19 dermatological registry, which collects reports of people experiencing vaccine side effects, told USA Today that there are currently only 14 examples of this reported in the registry, but she said she believes there are more that haven’t been reported. And for more coronavirus concerns, This One Type of Face Mask Is “Unacceptable,” Warns the Mayo Clinic. According to the CDC, side effects to the vaccine should “go away in a few days.” But what’s interesting with this specific side effect is that it could take more than a few days to show up—typically appearing five to nine days after your shot. “People are a little surprised because it’s a long time after the shot,” Freeman said. She also reassured that while it is “temporarily dramatic,” it is harmless and should go away within 24 hours to a week after cropping up.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb “Though if it’s not just in that arm, or if anything lasts longer than a week, definitely reach out to your health care provider,” Freeman cautioned. And for more up-to-date COVID news, sign up for our daily newsletter. Freeman says this specific reaction has only occurred in people who have gotten the Moderna vaccine, not Pfizer. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a small number of these injection site rash reactions were reported in Moderna’s clinical trials. “It doesn’t mean you should get Pfizer instead of Moderna. It’s not such a big deal,” Freeman assured. And for more from this company, see why The Moderna CEO Just Made This Scary Prediction About COVID. Most people have reported this side effect as a reaction to their first dose of the Moderna vaccine, so they may be worried about going back for their second. However, Freeman says this isn’t a concern that doctors are currently seeing as more patients get their second dose. “We don’t want people to panic, and we don’t want people to think they can’t get their second dose just because they have this delayed reaction,” Freeman said. Kim Blumenthal, MD, an allergist, epidemiologist, and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, also explained to USA Today that delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity is not an infection and doesn’t need to be treated with antibiotics. “If it’s itching take antihistamine; if it’s painful take Tylenol,” she recommended. And for more on reactions to the vaccine, These Are the Side Effects of the New Johnson & Johnson Vaccine.
