Delayed onset reaction to Moderna vaccine

[srk3cats]

I just wanted to let people know about a reaction I got at the site of the injection 8 days after I received it. Nobody says anything about this, probably because only 0.8% of trial recipients got it and they haven't done enough research yet to see what causes it.

Here's a website about it that I found:  Delayed Large Local Reactions to mRNA-1273 Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 | NEJM. It's not serious, but I hadn't heard anything about it so I was unsettled when I got it. I reported it to my doctor, VAERS, and Moderna.

[Anonymous]

Hi @srk3cats it happened for my first Moderna. The itching made me roll my long sleeves up before scratching too much. Glad I did as I probably would have done some damage to vaccine site with my nails. I went online and they said to use an ice pack, hydrocortisone cream or benadryl. I had the first two and my stomach does not like any over-the-counter meds. So I try to avoid them when possible. Yes, the bright red scared me but all was back to normal in about a week. I was told it was a DELAYED allergic reaction. Thank goodness it didnot happen with my second vaccine 🙂 Glad you posted this so folks will know.

[aruzinsky]

For itching that doesn't respond well to scratching, try 4% lidocaine cream that is sold OTC for muscle aches.  I add 1% pramoxine in isopropanol but I don't expect you to do that.

[GailL1]

@srk3cats 

Did it look kind of like this?  It is pretty common now - in fact, they are even calling it "Covid arm" or "Moderna arm" - I had it with my 1st Shingrix (Shingles) vaccine.  Itched like crazy - then just went away. I did NOT have it with my Covid-19 vaccination (Moderna) course my 2nd one is just now coming up.   It is just another immune response that some bodies give off.

[srk3cats]

I've never had a reaction before to a shot, so it scared me. They are also calling it "Vaccine Arm". I haven't had a Shingles shot yet. Mine looks similar to yours except I don't have spots and it's not quite as big. Do you have allergies?

[GailL1]

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@srk3cats wrote:

I don't have spots and it's not quite as big.

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I figured out what the spots are surrounding the red rash area in the photo - don't know where my brain was before -

The dark spots you see on the subject's arm in the photo are marks on the skin placed there to determine if the rash is moving or getting larger/smaller, etc.  Just a way to monitor it.

[GailL1]

@srk3cats 

No mine didn't have spots either - could have been that picture - I have a better one in my file but that was the 1st one I found on the web - it came from Mass General based on the NEJM article that you posted dated about the 1st part of March.

I had never had it before either - it didn't scare me so much since it seemed to be so topical - I didn't have it with the 2nd Shingrix shot - just the 1st one.  And I had absolutely NO reaction to the 1st Moderna - not even a sore arm.  I was prepared for a down day or a couple of them - but nothing.  I take the next one on April 06.

Mine reaction was pretty large and it worked its way down towards my elbow - started about 5 days after my 1st Shingrix shot then it got red, swollen, felt warm to touch - each day it got better and better - if not for the itching I actually felt nothing.

I used aloe and took some benadryl - yes, I have some allergies but mostly to airborne stuff like pollen - all upper respiratory not topical.

Yes, it was weird.  You are wise to post about it here.