The New England Journal of Medicine has published numerous photos of what some of the so-called “COVID arm” rashes look like. However, doctors say that the fear of a rash is not a reason to miss your chance of getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Shirley Chi, a board-certified dermatologist, has seen the rash in some of her patients.
“All the reactions have been to the Moderna vaccine and experts are not sure why the Moderna vaccine seems to be a little more allergenic in this way,” Chi said.
“So the bottom line is that it’s a normal reaction that we’re seeing. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get your COVID vaccine,” she added. “You should get it as soon as possible, and if you have any such reaction, talk to your doctor about it and we can treat it.”
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Millions of people have already received photos of the Pfizer, Moderna and new Johnson & Johnson vaccines available and many reactions have been observed, including pain at the injection site, general fatigue and sometimes fever.
These reactions usually occur within a day or two of the injection, but some people who receive the Moderna vaccine develop that mysterious rash – sometimes up to eight to 10 days after the injection.
“We had several patients who had this type of delayed reaction. One patient came especially 10 days after receiving the first COVID vaccine and had swelling on his arm where he got the vaccine,” he said. Chi. . “It spread to my wrist and actually over my torso. I treated her with over-the-counter antihistamines and she started to get better.”
Chi says it’s important to get the word out about the “COVID arm” rash. She says that redness is usually treatable with antihistamines, but that sometimes it may be necessary to prescribe a steroidal anti-inflammatory drug to fully solve the problem.
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