There have been some reports of people getting “COVID arm” after getting Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. What we essentially think is going on with COVID arm is that your immune cells are reacting to muscle cells that have taken up the messenger RNA vaccine.

Common side effects are soreness or swelling where you got the shot, headache, body aches, tiredness and fever. Side effects are more common after the second shot and less common in older adults. Side effects usually are mild to moderate and last about one to two days, and start within the first three days after vaccination (the day after is most common).

COVID arm usually goes away within a few days and it is not life-threatening. The skin can be red, and some people have said that their injection arm was warm. But COVID arm is just a sign of your immune system being in overdrive.

Should you end up with COVID arm, you can put a cold compress on it to help ease the inflammation. You can even take a pain reliever like Tylenol for the soreness. Rest and ice are good for most inflammatory conditions. And if you’re worried about possibly having a sore arm after your second dose, get it in the opposite arm to make things a little easier.

(Information collected from the internet by H.L)