Arm redness at site of Flu vaccine injection
 

This is only my second flu shot ever so I'm not so sure how common a reaction at the injection site is. My first flu shot was last year and I had no reaction at all.....not even soreness at the injection site. Now I'm starting to wonder if I was not given the senior dose of the flu shot last year.

This shot has left my arm a bit sore with a deep red area about 3" in diameter. This is the type of arm redness I had from my first two Moderna shots.

Anyone have a reaction like this at their site of injection of the Flu shot?

It’s not an uncommon reaction. Slap an ice pack on it.

Yup. That and some Motrin (if you can tolerate it)...

My wife gets that every time. Lasts a day or so...

My experience.....(over 20 years)? It will be gone in a couple of days.

50 years + of flu shots. Reactions vary. This can be one of them.

Thanks everyone for your insight.

Very common. Ice it

WebMD is an excellent source.

Flu Shot Fact Sheet: Influenza Vaccine and Side Effects

What’s the worry? If concerned, call your physician.

Just about every time. A mildly sore arm for a couple of days, that's all.

Most common reaction to the shot. The content changes every year depending on what is predicted to be the flu strains of the coming season. Your reaction may be different every year.

I’ve given countless flu vaccines over the years as well as gotten them. Getting a red arm isn’t uncommon nor is it uncommon not to get any mark. It just depends on you as well as the strain of vaccine which changes every year. It is nothing to worry about and should subside in a few days. Your immune system has responded and that’s a good thing.

Flu shot redness
 

This is not uncommon, especially if your immune system is revved up from the covid shots. It’s actually a good sign!

I never said I was worried. I had this same redness and soreness at the injection site when I had my Covid shots. I just had no idea the flu shot can offer the same reaction, especially when I had no reaction whatsoever from my first flu shot last year.

This is day four now and the deep redness is a slight pink so it is improving.

Good to know. Going forward, I do plan to get the flu shot annually now that I'm officially a senior and now that Covid will always be floating around.

I get about a 12 hours of negative reaction after each Covid (Pfizer) shot. And this year for the first time, my arm hurt after the flu shot for 2 days.

I look at the flu shot and the vaccine for Covid like hair salon appointments. Need to do regularly. Personally, I don’t expect Covid or the flu to disappear, and I don’t plan to get the illnesses either.

Flu shot reaction
 

It's not unusual to have a local reaction to any vaccine and flu shot is no exception. Redness and swelling at the injection site is common along with flu like symptoms.

One would have different reactions each time a flu shot is taken since the flu type changes each year and thus the flu vaccine is different each year. One gets a bit better the more often one experiences the flu vaccine. For me, I take aspirin 900 mg or so an hour before getting the flu vaccine and my symptoms afterwards are a lot less severe. This works for me but may not work for you.

It's also important to keep on top of the predictive seriousness of the flu each year, to make sure one gets the injection at the right time. Generally, if one gets the shot in mid October, you're covered through the entire flu season which ends in April. Having worked many flu seasons in healthcare, flu cases are significantly more and symptoms are more intense in March and April.

Joan RN

The last FLU shot I received (51 years ago) caused me to get very ill for about five days (if I remember correctly). I did not wish to feel like that again, so I have not received another FLU shot since. I have never had the FLU, so I guess I am either real lucky or I have some immunity to it. Not a medical professional but my personal physician does not seem to be concerned about my abstaining for getting the yearly FLU shot.
Sorry, I meant to add that a cold compress seems to help family members that have a reaction such as yours.