While many people have questions about vaccine safety, few realize that one of the greatest dangers associated with getting vaccinated involves not the vaccine itself, but rather the risk of an error during the vaccine administration process. In hospitals, doctor’s offices, pharmacies, schools and other vaccination centers around the country, these administration errors too-often leave adults and children alike suffering from serious injuries.
Generally speaking, these injuries occur at the injection site, which is most often the shoulder. As a result, vaccine administration-related injuries are broadly known as, “shoulder injuries related to vaccine administration,” or “SIRVA.”
Common Vaccine Administration Errors Leading to SIRVA
If you or your child experiences shoulder pain after receiving a vaccine, there is a good chance that this pain is the result of an error in vaccine administration. Some of the most common vaccine administration errors include the following:
- Injecting a vaccine too high on the shoulder. For most patients, the correct injection site for a vaccine is the deltoid muscle on the upper arm. The deltoid forms the contour of the shoulder, and attaches to the collarbone (clavicle), shoulder blade (scapula) and upper arm bone (humerus). If the person administering the vaccine misses the deltoid and inserts the needle too high on the shoulder, this can lead to shoulder pain signifying a potentially-serious form of SIRVA.
- Injecting a vaccine too low on the arm. Doctors and nurses administering vaccines can also miss too low. Injecting a vaccine into the triceps or biceps muscle can lead to a vaccine-related shoulder injury as well.
- Injecting a vaccine too deep into the muscle. Not only must vaccines be administered in the right location, but they must also be administered to the right depth in the arm. Appropriate needle length is dependent upon the patient’s weight and gender, and using the wrong needle (or using the right needle but still injecting the vaccine at the wrong depth in the deltoid) can cause adhesive capsulitis and other forms of SIRVA.
Studies have recently shown that vaccine administration errors may be an increasing problem. As a result, if you or your child experiences shoulder pain after receiving an immunization, it is important that you seek a thorough diagnosis.
Are You Experiencing Shoulder Pain After a Vaccination?
Since vaccine shoulder injuries result from errors during vaccine administration (and not issues with vaccines themselves), all types of vaccine injections can potentially lead to SIRVA. If you or your child received a flu shot or other vaccination and are now experiencing shoulder pain, you should see a doctor right away. You may also be entitled to financial compensation, and at the Center for Vaccine Shoulder Pain Recovery, we can assist you in filing a compensation claim at no financial cost to you.
Learn More About Your Rights After a Vaccine Shoulder Injury
If you would like more information about seeking compensation for a vaccine-related shoulder injury, contact the Center for Vaccine Shoulder Pain Recovery for a free, confidential consultation. Call (844) 789-2047 or send us a message online to speak about your claim today.