No one likes to get shots. They can hurt, and it’s scary to know that a nurse will stick you with a needle, right? But there are shots called “vaccines” that protect you from getting some serious diseases that could make you very sick. So, the prick of the shot is nothing compared to those diseases.
Vaccines protect you because they contain only a tiny part of the germ that causes the disease or a dead or weakened version of the germ. By injecting just a tiny part, your body will react to the vaccine by making antibodies – which are part of the immune system – and will fight the disease if necessary.
When your body is protected against disease in this way, you will be immune to the disease you have been vaccinated against. In most cases, that means you will not get the disease. Sometimes, though, you may get it, but only mildly.
Does It Hurt To Receive A Vaccine?
This will depend on each person and their resistance to punctures, but in general, yes, there is some pain, and you may continue to feel this discomfort for hours after receiving the injection. After you get a shot, your arm will be sore, red, or you may get a lump where the shot was given.
You may also get a slight fever. However, the pain and fever are short-lived and are relieved by taking pain medication, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
Why Does It Hurt?
Both the pain felt in the arm and the subsequent discomfort are a logical consequence of any injection intended to seek a response from the immune system.
The body begins to generate defenses in the same place where the vaccine is given, so it is normal for the arm to swell, ache or itch for a few hours.
Of course, some vaccines hurt more than others. This is the case of those that fight hepatitis A and B. Yet, it is not known with certainty why this happens, although she points out as a possible cause certain additives that are added to make the protection more robust, such as aluminum salts.
Don’t worry; they are completely safe ingredients that are added to the vaccine to make the immune response stronger.
